Kittens Have Claws, Too
by Leonaria Dragonbane
Summary: Sabretooth has found his mate, but does he have the patience to wait for her. COMPLETE. Look for BoogieMan...the sequel. As usual, if you can't handle mature content you might want to look elswhere.
1. Chapter 1

Kittens Have Claws, Too.

Sabretooth has found his mate does he have the patience to wait.

**SEVENTEEN YEARS BEFORE LIBERTY ISLAND**

David was pacing, back and forth, Victor didn't know why he was even here, he hated hospitals, hated the smells and the sounds. Dee was screaming in the room down the hall, he had Megan in his lap, her three year old fingers twisting the ties of his leather shirt.

"Why the hell did ya drag me down here?" He grumbled at his lieutenant. They had a small mercenary operation going, hire out to the highest bidder and go in and settle problems. It made good money, but he never could understand why the hell David had had to go and marry Diane, fuck her yea, but marry?

Now the second kid was on the way, and here he was, sitting in the damned hospital, watching Dave pace instead of working on their next contract. He was about to dump Megan on the floor and walk out, when the doctor came in.

"It's a girl." He said as the door swung shut behind him.

Dave picked up Megan and swung her in the air. "You have a baby sister." He laughed.

Victor just shook his head. "Can we get going now?

"Don't you want to at least see the baby?"

"No."

"Well, I need to go back and check on Dee, would you at least keep an eye on Megan." He rolled his eyes at Dave, but damn he trusted the guy with his back, he needed to keep him at least content.

"Fine, but she gets chocolate on me, I am going ta wring her neck." He growled. It didn't do any good, she just climbed back in his lap, her chocolate covered hands gripping his leather shirt. If he didn't need Dave for this job, he would just walk out, but shit, he was one of the best explosives guys out there.

He glared down at the toddler in his lap; how the hell had he ended up like this? One of the nurses smiled at him, and he snarled back. She just laughed, and walked over, taking the squirming child out of his lap and finding her some toys to play with. That was at least better. He had been sitting in this damned waiting room for eight hours already, and Dave still needed to see the damned baby. SHIT.

He zoned out, not really asleep, but only half aware of what was going on around him. This job down in Venezuela was going to be good money for all of them. He had a five man team ready to go, well as soon as Dave was through with all this domestic father husband crap. An oil company had hired them to protect some rigs, and maybe sabotage a competitor's rigs, and have a little fun with the locals. It wasn't a bloody job, by any means, but well hell, he could always find a good bar fight.

The door finally opened and Dave walked out, a blanket wrapped bundle in his arms. SHIT! He'd brought the damned squalling parasite.

"Vic, Dee and I were talking, and well we'd like you to be the Godfather." He moved like he was going to hand the screaming infant to him. Appalled, Victor backed up, his hands in the air. Nearly tripping over the toddler screaming for the baby behind him, he was glad that she stole the attention away from him. Dave didn't seem offended at Victor's reaction, leaning down to let the little girl look at the tiny, red face, screaming in a pile of useless flesh in his arms. A sudden smell hit him in the sinuses like a ton of bricks. He glanced around the waiting room, thinking that someone had walked in, but no one was there. He took a long sniff, and then turned back to Dave. It was coming from the infant.

He took two steps forward, and looked down, its eyes were screwed shut, and it was screaming, loudly. His ears hurt – should be bleeding - but that smell…that scent…it couldn't be. Dave gave him a strange look and held the tiny bundle out to him. He took it, one hand behind its tiny head, the other under the bottom, and both of his large hands meeting in the middle of her back. As soon as he touched her, took her into his arms, she ceased her crying, and opened her eyes. The twin orbs were dark as they stared up at him, and he could smell the feral blood running through her veins. His hands nearly trembled as he held her; he was afraid he would drop her, hurt her. She was that rarest of things- a female feral- and in that instant, Victor Creed's life was changed forever.

He looked at David. "Godfather you said."

"Yea." Dave grinned at him.

"I'm going ta be a hell of a lot more than that. You raise her, and raise her right, but she's mine, as soon as she is old enough, and don't ever forget it." Dave gave him a look of horror, and then shrugged. Victor knew David and Diane would raise her right, he just hoped to hell; when her time came, he would be there, ready to claim her.

"What are you going to name her?"

"Katherine."

"Kitten, I like it." He grinned, and looked down at the towheaded toddler at his feet. "What do you think, Megan? Do you like your new Kitten?"

"She's noisy and she stinks." The three year old said precociously. Both men roared their laughter at the little girl's statement.

He handed the bundle to her father and grinned at him.

"Take all the time you need, Dave, this job ain't that big a deal, you can join us later, I'm still cuttin ya in." Dave just looked at him, surprised, holding the baby against his chest. Damn, she had started screaming again. Victor needed to get out of there, before he burst an eardrum. He hoped to hell her voice wasn't that shrill when she got older.

"Vic, there's no need for that. I mean I appreciate the thought, but we are fine. You and the guys split it even; I can sit this one out." David was trying to quiet the Kitten, unsuccessfully. Victor reached out and took her from him, putting her up on his shoulder – with false ease - as if he held babies every day. She quieted immediately and just cooed against his neck.

David just looked at him in awe.

"You are gettin your share, so quit fussin like a frail. And if ya can't get my mate ta settle down, I'll take her ta her damned mother ta eat." He glared at the new father. He hated anything that made him feel soft, and damned if he wasn't feeling really damned soft at the moment. He wanted to purr and soothe her, make her calm, anything to prevent her screaming again. The softness of her tiny breaths against his throat was soothing.

He pushed through the doors, and straight to the room where he could smell Diane. He carried the baby in, and handed his Kitten to her mother. "Will you feed her for crying out loud? She is making my ears bleed."

Diane just grinned at him. He didn't know why, but he just couldn't intimidate her. Maybe she knew just how valuable her husband was to him, and he wouldn't do anything to make David unhappy. "Victor, it's nice of you to visit us. I didn't know you were so good with babies. She is so quiet."

He just glared at the new mother, before pulling a chair up to the side of the bed. The Kitten was rooting around, trying to find something against her mother's chest. The nurse came in with a bottle and Diane began trying to feed the baby.

"Damned fake shit." He grumbled. Diane just laughed at him, but the baby wasn't having any of it. "She wants the real thing."

Diane agreed with him and quietly turned a bit for privacy as she gave the Kitten what she was looking for. He heard the new mother's intake of breath as the baby feral latched on. He grinned; his Kitten was going to be a handful, when she got older.

"Diane, I need ta talk ta ya." He said quietly. He didn't want to scare her, but he needed her to understand. "The Kitten, she ain't normal."

"What do you mean, Victor?" Diane and David were some of the few people he trusted enough to talk about his mutations with.

"She's going ta be like me, feral. I don't know what physical changes she will have, but she's going ta have the healin, the senses, I don't know when they will start, some may have already, I can smell it in her, though." He heard David come in behind him. He must have found someone else to watch the brat.

"Is that what this is about, Victor? What your statement out there was about." David pulled up another chair, and sat quietly at his wife's side. Victor knew Dave trusted him, would take a bullet for him, and knew that Vic would take one for him. He was one of the few people that could say that. That trust was probably the only thing that had kept David from trying to kill him in the waiting room.

"Yea…females ferals are rare. They usually don't make it past adolescence." He could smell the fear from both of her parents. "Males, well our biology is different. She will be one of the rare ones that make it. I will see to it."

"How, Vic?" Diane asked, he could smell how tired she was, but she was afraid for her newborn and that fear was keeping her going.

"When the time comes, sometime between fifteen and twenty, she will go through her first estrus. It really fucks with female feral biology; most of them die of heart failure from it. The healing factor don't work when our own bodies are working against us. Anyway, you ain't got to worry 'bout that. She'll have a mate, so she will survive."

"A mate?"

"ME!" He growled at her.

His Kitten woke up at the sound, and reached her tiny hands for him. Her mother was startled by how quietly the infant stared at him, as if memorizing him.

"I want her ta have everything a kid should have. I ain't going ta say nothin to her, until the time is right. I'll be there, as a Godfather, friend, whatever if she needs me, but when her time comes all bets are off and she's mine." He watched Diane, he knew David would accept it; he worked for him, fought with him. It was the damned frail that would cause problems.

Diane just smiled. "It's a long way away, Victor. I am going to enjoy her, here and now, and guide her as best as I can, and, if when that time comes, she chooses for you to be her mate; I won't stand in the way."

Well it could have been worse; he nodded at her, and stood up, looking down at those tiny dark orbs. She knew it, even at four hours, she was his, and he just had to wait.

**TWELVE YEARS BEFORE LIBERTY ISLAND**

He stood in the twilight and looked at the large house from the shelter of the wood. The family was out in the yard, and he watched, stealthily, the father and mother sat on the porch swing rocking, the frail holding a blanketed bundle. The two girls ran and played in the yard, one about eight one about five. The older blonde pushed the younger dark haired girl down and he let out a growl. The younger girl looked up, surprise and delight on her face.

"UNCLE VIC!!!!!!" She screamed across the yard, running unerringly to him in the trees. He knelt down and scooped the five year old bundle of energy up and threw her over one shoulder, his bag over the other, and walked toward the house. He was going to have to learn, sneaking up on David and Diane was not going to be easy with his Kitten around.

"Uncle Vic!" Megan said as he came into view, he gave her a little smile, and let her latch onto his leg, and be dragged across the yard to the porch. David and Dee were smiling, laughing at the girls antics. He could see the worry in Dee's eyes but he hadn't come to drag her husband off into danger again.

He was taking some time off, thought he would visit his mate for a bit, to see how she was growing. This last job had been rough, he had actually over taxed his healing factor and needed to lay low and recover for a while. He couldn't think of any place safer than with Dave and family.

He listened to the squeals of Megan on his leg as he climbed the steps, before finally shaking her off at her mother's feet. His Kitten was squirming on his shoulder, laughing in his ear, not a high pitched child's laugh, but lower, as if she knew it would hurt and was trying to be nice. He let her feel the rumble of a purr in his chest to let her know he approved.

"Well, Vic, to what do we owe the pleasure?" Diane said, nursing the new baby. A boy this time, Dave had said in his last letter.

"Actually, just came for a visit." He sensed Dee's suspicion, and tried to calm her fears. "No jobs up, and I need a rest. Thought I would make use of that old hunting cabin on the back of the property, stay out of the way, and enjoy some home cookin for a while. Couple weeks, then back on the road." He dropped his bag to the porch and sat down in a lawn chair near the swing.

"Well, the cabin is always yours if you need it Vic." Dave said, putting a reassuring arm across his wife's shoulders. Dee began to relax; the baby gave a loud sigh and burped, demanding her attention. She stood and took him inside the large family home. Dave had done well the last few years, gone legit and worked with a demolitions company for a while doing contract work.

Friends were few and far between for Victor, and this family was the closest he had to one of his own. Someplace to relax, not worry about his damned rages and bloodlust, he KNEW he would never harm a hair on any of their heads. The Kitten had climbed up into his lap and was twirling the ties of his shirt around her fingers.

Diane came back out, the baby in a basket, and sat down. They sat and talked late into the night, he regaled them with stories of where he had been and what he had been doing the last few years. Diane finally leaned her head against David's shoulder, and the Kitten was half asleep in his lap. He kept a low rumbling purr going, it seemed to calm the Kitten and her little head started to drop off to sleep. He and David were talking business, nothing too disturbing, just guy talk, when Megan began to tug on the Kitten.

"My turn...I wana sit in Vic's lap." Megan said as she tried to grab the Kitten's arm and pull her out of his lap.

The Kitten didn't move, just snuggled closer to his chest. Megan tried harder, tugging on her ankle. Still Kitten ignored her, pressing her face against his chest, snuggling deeper under his arm.

"I WANA sit in VIC'S LAP!" Megan screamed shrilly. She reached out and grabbed the kitten's long pony tail and yanked, hard

"NO! HE'S MINE…MINE!" The Kitten screamed...swiping her sister across the arm with her four razor sharp claws, Diane grabbed Megan and pulled her back. The Kitten's claws had barely scratched her, just leaving shallow cuts across the arm, just enough to say back off.

"Katherine Marie…I have told you about that…" Diane started, but Vic stopped her.

"Nice one, Kitten, don't let anyone tell ya different." Diane just glared at him, then shrugged her shoulders and smiled. He was right, and she knew it. The Kitten had claws and was going to have to learn how to use them. The five year old just snuggled deeper against his chest, and let his soft purr put her to sleep.

Later that night, he carried her up stairs and tucked her into bed. He had smiled at her possessiveness earlier, but now it gave him a little concern. Was she getting too attached too quickly? He didn't want to rob her of her childhood. She needed these years, needed them to grow strong. He hadn't had parents like hers, and he wanted her early years to be much better than his. ONE of them needed good parental training if they were going to have cubs one day.

He slipped back down stairs and grabbed his bag from by the front door. Diane had gone up to bed, and David was sitting alone on the porch smoking a cigar.

"Heading to the cabin?" Dave asked as he walked by.

"Yea. Need ta unpack, have some presents for the kids in the bag, but didn't want ta drag everything out ta give 'em to 'em." He grinned. David just laughed.

"Don't spoil them too much; they are a pain in the ass after you leave as it is."

"Is the Kitten doing ok?" He asked as he stepped to the porch.

"She's fine, Vic, she and Megan are at a competitive thing right now, that's all…It wasn't personal. She needs to stop loosing her temper like that, though. It's going to get her in trouble in school this fall."

"I'll talk ta her about it, see if I can get through ta her."

"I hope someone can. Those claws of hers hurt, just like a baby kitten, needle sharp and itch like the dickens for days afterward."

"Itch?"

"Yea, the doctor says it's some sort of allergen or something, like when people are allergic to cats. Megan gets all puffed up from her scratches." Victor just grunted at the girls' father. He hadn't even considered that possibility. He was definitely going to have to talk to her about keeping her claws in around her sister. If there was a serious allergy there, it was only going to get worse.

He walked off into the darkness, the scent of Dave's cigar following him on the light spring breeze. He followed the barely used path and behind a small hill, out of sight of the main house, and just big enough for one person comfortably was a small cabin. It had all the comforts of home, without being near anyone he didn't want to be around. It was just two small rooms. There was a living room, with a couch and a fireplace, and not much else on one side and a small kitchenette on the other; and the bedroom had a specially constructed bed frame with a special mattress, long enough to accommodate his body but not too wide for the small room. There was a small bathroom with a shower stall of the bedroom. He dropped his bag on the bed and rooted through it.

In the bottom, under his laundry and gear, were five small packages. There was a new buck knife he had ordered hand made for David, a small pendant with the three kids' birthstones for Diane, a silver rattle with David Jr.'s name and date of birth for the baby, a pair of earrings for Megan, and a locket for his Kitten.

He had thought about what to put in the locket, and finally decided on a picture of her in one side and a lock of his hair, braided and looped into the frame, on the other. He was rethinking the lock of his hair. He had wanted her to have his scent close, but after the way she had acted earlier he was beginning to wonder if that was a good idea. She was still only a cub, he almost unfastened the frame and took out the hair, but he just couldn't make himself do it.

He put the small packages on the table next to the bed so he would remember to take them to the main house tomorrow and went into the bathroom. After a cool shower, he would have to remember to check the heater tomorrow, he lay down on the bed wearing a pair of sweatpants, remembering the last time he was here, when two little girls decided to surprise 'Uncle Vic' with breakfast.

He had missed this place the last couple years. And he needed the relaxation. He knew he would get the itch and move on in a couple weeks, but for those couple weeks he could just let go, enjoy watching his Kitten play, and be comfortable with old friends.

His eyes drifted closed and he enjoyed one of his rare nights of peaceful sleep.

The next morning he climbed out of bed and dressed quickly. He threw the packages into the pocket of the leather vest he threw on, all but the knife that went into one boot. He tugged on his boots impatiently. He didn't want to miss breakfast, especially if he could convince Diane to make her blueberry pancakes and maple sausage. He knew she would laugh, and say he was worse than the kids, and if anyone else did that, they would be picking up their guts off the floor. Her, he would laugh with her, and help cook breakfast.

He made it to the door just as the school bus was running, and Megan was dragging her feet, not wanting to go to school. He scooped her up and carried her to the bottom step of the bus, dropping her on her feet, and giving her a glare. She giggled and ran up onto the bus. He watched her talk excitedly to her friends as the bus pulled away.

Diane was in the kitchen, and there was already a big stack of pancakes on the table. He grabbed the platter.

"Better get to work, frail. I'm going ta want seconds." She laughed at him and slapped his hand with the hot spatula.

"I don't think so…David hasn't eaten yet." She dumped four big fluffy pancakes on a plate and handed it to him. "YOU can start with those." He growled at her, snarled, and then finally sat down and began slathering butter on his breakfast. He was pouring the syrup when a sleepy eyed Kitten stumbled into the kitchen. He picked her up and tossed her into her chair, just as her mother plopped a plate of pancakes in front of her. She grinned at him, and cocked her head to the side. She watched him smother his pancakes in syrup, and followed suit. He watched her trying to copy him, and grinned.

"Morning. I thought I was going to have to come out there and wake you up." David said as he entered the kitchen. "You were seriously sawing logs last night."

A tiny wail from the other room announced that David Jr. was awake and wanting attention. Diane handed David the spatula and went to tend to the baby.

They laughed and had a quiet morning. The Kitten ran around and played with her toys, occasionally sitting by the door, asking when Megan would be home. They might be competitive but he could tell the Kitten loved her big sister. She had him down on the living room floor at one point playing some game called 'Candyland' and he couldn't remember when he had actually had more fun.

Megan got home early that afternoon and they cooked out on the grill, and laughed. He handed out presents, and the Kitten insisted on him putting the necklace on her. It would be years later that he would realize that she never took it off from that moment.

He spent two whole weeks, before he felt the need to move on, he packed, with regret, and hugged the kids. The Kitten had insisted on climbing up in his lap and giving him a sticky sugary kiss on the cheek. He looked back with regret as he walked away, it wasn't his time yet, but someday, someplace like this would be home, and his Kitten would be waiting.

**TEN YEARS BEFORE LIBERTY ISLAND**

He was running this time, he didn't have time to stop for long, and he didn't even really want them to know he was there. As fate would have it, only the Kitten found out. He was hiding in the woods, he wouldn't even use the cabin, but he knew this area well and could hide without any fear of discovery. He just had to lay low. This last job had gone wrong from the beginning, and now someone was on his ass, had found out he was a mutant, and was trying to catch him and put him in some kind of lab. NOT if he had anything to say about it.

He stayed in the woods, well back from the house. He didn't want the people following him to know he had anything to do with the family, he just wanted to catch a glimpse before he took off again, see how she had grown.

He didn't even hear her, she came in up wind of him so he didn't smell her either. One second he was crouched watching the house, the next two little arms were around his neck, and she was whispering "Hi, Uncle Vic" in his ear.

He threw her on the ground, claws out, ready to strike. It was only her scent that stopped him, her scent and her little cry of submission as she curled away from him; he smelled her fear for the first time since she was born.

"Kitten, don't ever sneak up on me like that." He snapped.

"Sorry, Uncle Vic, I saw you out here and wanted to see if you were ok." There were tears in her eyes, and he couldn't stop himself he reached out and picked her up, letting her childish tears fall on his broad shoulders.

"That was good what you did, and if it were anyone else BUT me it would have been funny as hell, Kitten." He laughed to let her know it was alright and started the low purr that calmed her down. She stopped crying and he smelled the fear go away.

"Now get back to the house, and don't tell ANYONE that you saw me, ok." He put her down on her feet and pointed her toward the house. She glared at him and took off, in the opposite direction, and then he watched her come at the house from a different direction, if anyone was watching they would never know she had been anywhere near him. Damn, her instincts were good, and she was getting smart, almost too smart, in how she listened to them.

He slipped off into the woods. She was doing fine. He had seen her, and now he had to get away. He knew they were still on his trail, and he didn't want them getting anywhere near his family and his mate.

He had been gone about three days, when they caught him. He didn't know what was in the dart they hit him with, but when he woke up, he was strapped down to a table, in a lab. For two years they tortured him, tried to drag memories out of his mind, but he fought them, and never ONCE gave them anything about his Kitten. She was HIS; no one else was going to touch her, even in his mind.

**SEVEN YEARS BEFORE LIBERTY ISLAND**

He was exhausted. He had finally broken out of that lab, killing anything and everything in his path. His healing factor was stretched to the limit; he could feel his body trembling with fatigue. He had made sure no one was following him, before even heading this way. He needed to make sure she was alright before he collapsed. He couldn't remember a time when he was this weak, this frail, and it almost frightened him. What if they had done something? What if he died, who would be there for her when she needed him?

He had almost considered calling the Runt, letting him know what was going on, he had smelled him in the lab, stale, but he knew he had been there and escaped. The problem was he didn't know where he was, and it would take too long to track him down. He pulled the truck into the driveway, he was just going to try to rest, see if his factor kicked back in, with time and rest. If it did, well who needed the fucking Runt, and if it didn't, he would have time to tell David who to look for and how to find him.

He had actually bought this truck, so he didn't have to ditch it before getting to the house. He just wanted rest, and peace. He pulled up to the house and immediately noticed differences…Megan was starting to fill out, she was going to be stunning someday, but she just wasn't for him. His Kitten was taller, gangly, awkward, but still ran and threw her arms and legs around him in a big hug.

"Uncle Vic. Will you help me with my science project? I am doing a volcano." He just laughed, and felt something inside him let go, he suddenly knew he was going to be ok, he wasn't going to have to worry about her, and he would be here for her.

"Sure thing, Kitten." He dropped her onto her feet, and was immediately tackled by a small bundle of energy. Dave Jr. wanted his attention; Megan was leaning on one of the posts on the porch, just looking at him.

"Hi, Vic." She said, shyly as he walked up the steps to the porch. He just nodded at her. The kid was getting to that stage when he tried to avoid them, not a child and not a woman. Diane and Dave came out the door as he dropped his bag on the porch.

"You look like HELL, Victor." Diane exclaimed, rushing over to him, fussing at him to sit down and let her tend his injuries. He still had a couple so he let her; it felt good, having someone fuss over him. He wouldn't admit it even to them, but it felt damned good.

"Victor, is there anything I need to take care of?" David was all business, and Vic knew he would too.

"No, nothing ta take care of." Victor just leaned back, Diane brought him a beer and the Kitten curled up in his lap, and laid her head on his shoulder. That was all the balm his soul needed.

He stayed a month that time, and even went to the damned science fair with the Kitten. Al, from the old team had just been elected judge in town, and he found out several of his old group had settled in this same small town. He knew his Kitten was well protected, and before he left he gathered up all the guys and made sure they knew that the Kitten was his priority. These men were the ones he trusted, the ones he had trained years ago, most of them had retired, and well, off the money they had made working for him, and owed him, some of them their lives.

He pulled out of the driveway reassured that no matter how long he was gone, she would be safe.

**THREE YEARS BEFORE LIBERTY ISLAND**

It had been a long four years, and he had had several changes in his life and activities since he had been here. He had met a man who had convinced him to give a shit about the mutant situation. Even joined his group, The Brotherhood of Mutants, he called it. They were working on some projects, but he had told them he needed some personal time. They treated him like some kind of big pet, most of the time, and he let them. The blue metamorph he had known before, but even then she had treated him like some kind of sex toy, not as if he had much of a mind. All that was fine with him, his main concern was keeping busy until his Kitten was ready, and then everything would change.

He parked his truck back from the house. He wanted to see if he could sneak up on her. He slipped into the woods, and stopped upwind. She was sitting on a fence, several of her little friends around her. Her back was to him, but he could smell her. He stood there, watching her, her voice drifting to him on the wind. They were talking about something to do with school, and boys…BOYS! HE let out a low growl.

He watched her start, and heard her say "Guys I need to get on my chores; I'll see you tomorrow at school." The three girls and one guy took off walking down the driveway. She waited until they were out of sight and then turned and ran straight for him. He was stunned. His little Kitten wasn't a cub anymore. She had breasts and hips and legs that went on for miles in those shorts she was wearing. He dropped the bag and she launched herself at him, throwing those long legs around his waist, her arms around his neck, her face pressed against his neck, muffling her squealed "UNCLE VIC!"

He tried to control it but he couldn't he pressed her against him, his body reacting to her young one, he buried his nose in her hair, inhaling her scent. His hands stroked her back, down past her waist and to the curve of her hips. He caught himself just short of groping her ass, realizing what he was doing. He grabbed her waist and pulled her off him, pushing her back, making her stumble as she put her feet on the ground.

"What the hell do you think you are doing? That's no way for a young lady to greet ANYONE, much less an friend of the family. Get your ASS to the house, tell your dad I am here, I'll be at the cabin." He picked up his bag and stormed off.

He knew he had hurt her, he heard her sob behind him, but he had to get out of there, or she was going to be under him, fourteen or not. He heard her run toward the house, as he made his way to the little cabin.

He had a feeling he wouldn't even be unpacking this time. There was no way in hell he was going to be able to stay here and keep his hands off of her.

"Hey the cabin." He heard Dave outside.

"In the back." He shouted. He had left the door open, knowing David would be down.

"What the hell did you do to Katherine? She didn't know if she should cry or scream in rage." Dave sat down on the end of the bed. He had stretched out, trying to calm down before going back to the house, and facing her again.

"Does she greet everyone like that?"

"Like what."

"She threw herself at me, wrapped herself around me like a blanket or something. Why the hell didn't you warn me she had grown up that much? SHIT! I almost grabbed her ass. What the HELL were you thinking, allowing her to do shit like that?" He was growling, his claws out ready to kill something.

"Victor she only greets YOU like that, and I figured you could count. You told US she would start hitting her cycle sometime between fifteen and twenty." David was laughing at him. LAUGHING!

He just growled.

"You going to be up for dinner? Diane has been cooking a pot roast all day and there is plenty for you to join us."

"Yea, just talk to the Kitten about decorum or something." Shit…he was going to have to play nice at dinner, but Diane would be insulted if he didn't join them.

He climbed into the shower after Dave left. He needed the cool water to calm down. He didn't know if he was going to be able to come back until she was ready for him, he knew his self control was going to be tested this evening. He just hoped he would be strong enough to resist temptation.

He walked into the house. Dave Jr. was on his stomach in the living room watching television, he was what, nine, now? Megan sauntered down the stairs as he came in, wearing a tight top, and tighter pants that didn't meet in the middle exposing her middle. He just went into the dining room, homing in on the food. If he just thought about the good food he might be able to get through this evening.

He sat down at the table, Diane was gushing over him, about how long it had been. Kitten came in quietly and sat down next to her mother at the other end of the table. Megan sat directly across the table from him. He nearly choked on his food when he felt her foot trailing up his leg. SHIT! He didn't need this crap. He wanted to growl at her, but didn't want the Kitten to take it wrong. He could smell she was still upset.

"Katherine, after dinner, why don't you show Uncle Vic your routine for the talent show next week?" Dave said. The youngest was playing with his food; Victor could tell he would rather be watching his TV show.

"Sure." She mumbled into her dinner, she snuck him a shy look, and he smiled at her. He thought his heart would stop when she gave him a shy smile in return. He didn't want her to think he was angry with her, God knew he wasn't. He was angry with himself, his own lack of control.

"I could show you what I am doing in our talent show." Megan said.

"Victor doesn't need to see you strut around like an idiot." Her mother snarled. Even Victor was surprised, Diane was usually so mild mannered.

Megan gave him what he was sure she thought was a cute pout, but he ignored her. After dinner they went into the family room, the boy going back to the movie he was watching in the living room.

The Kitten ran upstairs to change into what she was wearing for the talent show, and he sat quietly on the couch trying to ignore Megan trying to drape herself over him across the back of the couch. Kitten came into the room in a TIGHT spandex top and leggings with a flowing skirt over them. Her middle was bare as were her arms and calves and ankles. She was wearing some sort of ballet shoes on her feet.

He almost left then, considered giving her parents one hell of a lecture on appropriate clothing for a teen aged girl, and then she started to move…DAMN! SHIT! FUCK! No NOT FUCK! DEFINITLY NOT FUCK!

It surprised him that HIS kitten knew how to move her body like she was. He'd seen moves like that on exotic dancers- the real professionals. He could feel a sweat breaking out around his hairline, itching his scalp. His control was hanging by a thread- pulled taut, and ready to snap. When she went down on her hands, pushing her legs up into the air for a handstand/split, he almost entirely lost it. Behind him, standing behind the couch, Megan kept trying to suggestively rub her overdeveloped breasts against his back. He almost whipped around to stop her, but decided that the disgusted feeling her touch was giving him, was what would be keeping him from grabbing his Kitten, throwing her over his shoulder, and taking off for the cabin. He made it through the routine, and even managed to applaud.

She gave him a huge smile and ran back upstairs to change. He gave David a glare that said 'meet me outside" and pushing backwards to knock the little slut off her feet, he stood up and went out on the porch. The breeze wasn't cool enough to calm his rage, his jealousy, his pure fury that they would allow her to do something THAT suggestive on stage at HER age.

"JUST WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT!" He roared at David as he came out the door.

"Keep it down, Vic, she has your hearing."

"I don't give a shit, she's too fucking young to be doing shit like that."

"Victor, her dance teacher at school approved it, it isn't that suggestive, and she will be with a group of other kids."

"NO SHE WON'T"

"Victor, we are her parents and we approved it. Unless you know something we don't and are planning on changing that." David was challenging him.

He just growled, and stormed off into the night. There was no way in hell he was staying here, not now, not after this. HE would be back, when she was ready and damn them all to hell.


	2. Chapter 2

Kittens Have Claws, Too.

Sabretooth has found his mate. Does he have the patience to wait for her?

A/N Verity Kindle: Firstly the main character is over 100 years old at this point and grew up in a very different time period when girls were married by 14 or 15...to MUCH older men. Secondly nothing will occur between them until she is nearly 18, and then they will be married with parental consent...

As to why her parents are going along with this...they have KNOWN about it since her birth, and they are looking at, marriage at 17 almost 18 or her DYING. It isn't a NORMAL situation by any means, and he is TRYING to hold out until she is legal at least...

Blue Phoenex217: NO she is NOT Kitty Pride.

Annie : No, she isn't Rogue, the Liberty Island is just a reference point for Creed.

Ronin's love: Thank you so much and I can't wait for the continuation of your fic either.

As always Hugggles to my Beta and Co Author on this one…Lady Mage…couldn't have done this one with out you.

Chapter 2

He stood, in the shelter of the trees. He was on the run again. He had managed to clean up; he didn't smell like the damned Hudson River any more. He had ditched the leathers, and bought some simple clothes, cleaned up a bit, trimmed his hair, shaved, and didn't look anything like the picture being shown on the television stations. He knew he would be safe. He had called an apologized to David for his behavior last time.

Diane had lectured him about hurting the Kitten's feelings, and even made him apologize to her as well. That had been hard, he had heard the pain in her voice, and knew his gruff apology hadn't helped. He had avoided them for the last three years, but now, with everything going to hell, he didn't know of anyplace else to hide. He needed to be nearby, in case she started to cycle. He had called Dave a couple days ago; let him know he was coming.

The house was quiet. The kids were probably in bed, it was late. Kitten better be in bed or he would wring the neck of whatever boy she was out with. She was almost legal, and by God he wasn't going to wait much longer. He made his way quietly to the cabin; he would show up at breakfast in the morning. As he was crossing the yard he noticed a silhouette on the roof, who the hell was sitting on the roof of the house?

He dropped his bag, and grabbed the edge of the porch roof and pulled himself up. He climbed up quietly and approached from up wind. He thought he had snuck up on her, until he heard her soft…

"Hi, Victor."

He sat down on the slope of the roof, a few feet away. "How have you been, Kitten?"

"Ok."

"How's school?"

"You know…senior year, trying to get a scholarship. I want to go into Computer Science, and working my ass…err butt off to get into the university."

It was dark, but he could still make out the wistful expression on her beautiful face. She wanted to go to college, by GOD she was going to college. That wouldn't even put a dent in his pocketbook. They sat there a while, in silence, and then she stood up, brushed off her jeans, and turned to look at him.

"Are you staying a while this time, or just leaving in the morning?"

"I'm staying a while, Kitten."

"Good."

She slipped down to the edge of the roof, and with a practiced flip, grabbed the edge, and vaulted into her bedroom window. He just stared for a moment, at the empty space she had just vacated. Her musical laughter rang from the room below him, and he knew she had picked up on his surprise.

He went back to the front porch and then dropped to the ground. He picked up his bag and continued to the small cabin. This wasn't going to do, not at all. He was NOT going to bring her out here. He was going to have to deal with a real estate agent, not one of his favorite past times. He curled up on the bed, thinking about their conversation on the roof. Something was different, he couldn't quite put his finger on it, but something was wrong.

He drifted off to sleep, plans for the morning running through his head, and was surprised by the dawn light coming in the window. He grumbled and snarled, but climbed out of bed and into the shower. David must have fixed the hot water heater finally, and a hot shower helped wake him up. He dressed quickly, and headed back to the house. Dave Jr. was climbing onto the school bus as he walked into the yard.

Diane was on the porch and smiled as he walked up.

"You are on your own for breakfast, Megan and I have to make a run into town for groceries."

Megan grinned at him. Her blonde hair was straight, and she was wearing way too much makeup.

"Hi, Vic." She gave him a look he was more used to giving than receiving. Predatory, hungry, like an animal on the hunt; she sauntered past him, hips swaying. She knew exactly what she was trying to do, and he wasn't going to play her games.

"Is David home?" He asked as the two women climbed into the car.

"Yea, he is in his work shed." Diane said as she closed the car door.

He walked around the house and to the shed out back. Dave was working at his grinder. His new hobby was stock extraction of knife blades, and he was working on polishing a new buck blade. Victor stood back and watched. It was going to be a pretty blade, but useful, just the way he liked them.

The grinder slowed to a halt, and Dave looked up.

"Hey, Vic didn't know you made it in yet." He was examining the blade in his asbestos mitt covered hands.

"Yea, I am going to be sticking around for a while too." He said, as he perched on a stool. Dave looked at him.

"That Liberty Island crap we've been hearing about on the news?"

"Yep."

"They coming after you?"

"Naa…I think they think I am dead. Just laying low."

"Good. I am not sure, but I think you may need to stick around a while. Katherine has been weird the last few months."

"I talked to her last night. I didn't smell anything, but there is something wrong. I was hoping you knew."

"Nope. Girl stuff I leave to Diane." He grinned and set down the blade to cool.

"She still doing that dance crap she was doing last time I was here?"

"Nope. She quit that after you left. Didn't even do the show."

"Was it my fault?"

"She didn't say, just that it was taking too much time."

"Shit!"

"Victor, don't beat yourself up over it. She's a kid, her interests change."

"I just don't want her making changes because of me. That will happen soon enough, and I want her to be as normal as possible until then."

"You aren't going to do anything stupid, like make her quit school or something?"

"HELL NO! The kid wants to go to college, for crying out loud."

"Just so we are all on the same page there." He picked up the knife blade and started looking at it again, rubbing it with his now bare hands, feeling for rough spots on the metal that needed polished down.

"No, I want the kid to go to school, to do what she wants with her life. I will support her no matter what she decides. HELL, I'd fucking retire if that is what she wanted…don't know what the hell I would do with myself…but I would do it."

"Don't make promises your body can't keep, Vic." David said to him, concerned.

"I could do it. Someplace like this where I can hunt for the bloodlust." David just looked at him and shook his head. They had known each other for over thirty-two years. Victor remembered the gangly kid he had taken on all those years ago, and it was strange to see his eyes looking out of this graying, pudgy middle aged man.

David stood up and put a hand on Victor's shoulder. "She will be fine, as long as you give her some choices in what is to come. Take some advice from someone with a better track record with women…they need to think they have some choice, or your life is HELL!"

They sat there for a while, talking about life, women, families, and of course work. They heard the car pull up and went to help unload the groceries. Dee was pleased he was going to be staying a while, but Megan was driving him insane. In front of her parents she wasn't as bad, but any time she could get him alone, she was running her hands over him, in ways, that even if he had been interested would have turned him off. He wanted to kill her by lunch time. 

He escaped with David out to the shed again. Evidently Megan didn't like getting metal shavings in her hair.

"You need to do something with that one." He said finally.

"We've tried. Can't get her to go to college, she wants to act, but frankly has no talent. I keep hoping she will get pregnant and get married so we can stop supporting her. This is the third time this year she has had to move back home. She can't hold a job, can't hold onto a boyfriend long enough to have a relationship, and is about to drive us insane. In one way we are grateful we won't have to go through this with Katherine."

"What would it take to get her to leave…?"

"Honestly, I have no clue."

"Fifty grand and a car?" Victor was serious.

"To do what?"

"Send her to L.A. or New York; let her try to make it in the acting scene. She'd probably be back but by that time Kitten would be settled and I wouldn't have to deal with Megan the octopus."

"That might work, but not if you just throw it at her. Let me see what I can set up, maybe even get her an audition or something, and then you can offer to pay for it. You will have to put up with her a couple more days…"

"Shit, can't I just gut her? I could do it all . . . painless . . . if you want . . . unless you just want-"

"No, Vic, you can't gut her."" David knew he was teasing, he'd never actually hurt any of them, although, Megan was getting close.

They stayed in the shed until dinner. It was tense at the table. Megan was trying to flirt and get his attention, Dave Jr. was teasing Kitten about something that had happened at school, but he was too damned busy avoiding Megan's questing feet to listen too closely. Kitten finished dinner and mumbled something about needing to do some homework and ran upstairs.

Megan left the table, finally, and he heard her go upstairs. He heaved a sigh of relief that was cut short by shouts from the second floor.

"What do you think you are doing?"

"He isn't going to be interested in a KID like you. At least I am a woman and can see to his needs."

"You are a slut and EVERYONE knows it."

"Well, next time you might try hiding your diary better….'I wish Victor would come and visit soon, I miss him so much.' What a crock of shit."

"At least I am not making a FOOL out of myself." Kitten's voice had developed a dangerous growl. David and Diane both got up and ran up the stairs to separate the two girls before there was bloodshed. Victor just sat back and grinned. The Kitten could take care of herself. He might not have to gut Megan; the Kitten just might do it for him.

Diane came down a few minutes later, dragging Megan by the arm. She had scratches on her face and arms, and they were already swelling. Diane made her sit down, and pulled a syringe and medication out of a drawer.

"I have told you about provoking your sister like that; you KNOW what her claws could do to you. Do you want to go into anaphylactic shock again?" Victor glared at the blonde, letting out a low growl. She was going to learn to leave his Kitten alone.

He could hear David trying to calm the Kitten down.

"Your sister doesn't know what she is talking about, Katherine."

"She needs to stay out of my stuff."

"I will talk to her about it. Now calm down and work on your homework." David wasn't angry at his youngest daughter; evidently this was a fairly normal dispute, or at least the personal space invasion was normal.

Megan was simpering at him, trying to gain his sympathy, but he ignored her. David had better get on whatever he was planning for her, because if she provoked his Kitten again, he might actually kill her.

He stretched and stood.

"Good dinner, Diane." He started for the front door.

"Thanks, Victor, pancakes in the morning for breakfast. Katherine leaves for school at six thirty." He looked back and grinned. He went back to his little cabin. He hadn't gotten a damned thing done he had planned today, but he had time. His Kitten was still a kitten, not a full blown cat, and he had time to prepare for her.

He pulled his shirt off and stretched out on the bed. Yep, he was going to need a house, preferably someplace closer to the school. Six fucking thirty was too early for her to have to leave the house. She needed sleep. He couldn't see the house from here, but it was almost nine o'clock and he knew she would be up a while longer. It was after midnight when he got in last night and she had been up on the roof.

He heard a noise outside the cabin, and listened quietly. It was too loud for the Kitten; she would be stealthier than that. He heard a small knock on the door. He stood up and went to open it. It was the slut. Megan.

"I'm sorry, Victor. I was a complete idiot earlier. I just don't want my sister getting hurt. She's so young and doesn't understand how things are sometimes." She came in and sat down on the couch. He sat on the other end, willing to hear her out. "I do like you, and even though you and my mom and dad are friends, well you just don't look or act their age. It confuses her, and she has a little crush on you. I just want you to be careful, ok."

"I'd never do anything to hurt any of you."

"Oh, I know that, I just don't want there to be any bad feelings." She scooted closer to him on the couch, and his alarm bells started going off. Her hand came to rest on his forearm, and she stroked the fine hairs, almost absentmindedly.

"Megan, you should go." He stood up and opened the door.

"As long as we understand each other." She stood up and stood on her tiptoes to place a kiss against his lips. He grabbed her arm and pushed her out the door. Damned slut better be gone soon.

He knew it would be a while before he got to sleep now, so he took off for a walk. He went deep into the woods, tracking a small herd of deer, and didn't realize how late it was getting. He headed back to the house, hoping not to see her silhouette on the roof, but there she was. He grabbed the back porch roof edge and pulled himself up. He knew it was late, and she had school.

"You should be in bed." He said as he came up behind her.

"I was just heading in." He watched her wince. What was her problem lately? She hadn't really said much to him, no hug hello, nothing, and now, so cool, so…hurt, he could smell pain, but it wasn't physical. She stood and quickly took her route down from the roof, grabbing the ledge and flipping into a handstand and down into the window.

He sat there a little while longer, and heard a soft sob from below him. SHIT!

He jumped straight down from the roof and ran back to the cabin. He walked into the living room but could still smell the slut in there; he was going to have to steam clean the damned couch. He went straight to the bedroom but he could still smell her. What the fuck!

It was on him…her scent was on him. He had to get it off, before he threw up. He stripped out of his jeans and jumped into the shower. A hot shower later and the disgusting scent was off his skin. He walked back to the bedroom and grabbed his sleeping sweats. He was pulling them up around his hips when it hit him…

"SHIT! FUCK! SHIT! DAMN IT YOU ASSHOLE." He roared at himself. If he could smell it then the Kitten damned well could…SHIT! He was going to have to try to explain things in the morning before school. He didn't want her thinking he was interested in Megan. She was just a kitten, just a kid. She wasn't ready to deal with this crap yet.

He stretched out on the bed again and closed his eyes, for the first time since he had been coming to visit; he slept with one ear open. He didn't want the damned slut sneaking in on him. The early morning bird songs woke him before dawn and he stripped and pulled on a pair of jeans and a Polo style shirt. He pulled his boots on, and rooted around in the bottom of his bag. In the very bottom was a small black velvet box. He opened it and put the ring inside in his pocket. He didn't know when her cycle would hit, and he wanted to be ready.

He hurried to the house, and made it in time to see her getting on the bus. Damn! He would try to catch her alone this afternoon. Megan was excited when he walked in the door. Evidently whatever David had planned had started. She had an audition in New York and was bouncing around the house like a kid at Christmas.

"Megan, we are NOT paying for this. You go out there you are on your own." Evidently David hadn't told Dee the plan…

"I will pay for it." He said quietly. Megan ran toward him, as if to hug him but he held his hands out. "Go get packed. I'll take care of it."

"What the HELL do you think you are doing, Victor?" Diane demanded as Megan climbed the stairs.

"Diffusing a dangerous situation." He growled at her.

"What do you mean?"

"That girl is going to push me too far, this way she will LIVE, Diane."

He saw real fear in her eyes, smelled it on her. She knew he meant it, that he might snap and hurt Megan.

"Ok, I'll go along for now, but how is she supposed to live in New York."

"I plan on giving her some money to get by, about fifty grand or so."

"Well, that will help. Are you sure you can afford it?"

He just gave her that look, the one that said 'Don't be a stupid frail.'

He made a couple calls, and then had David drive him into town. He went to the bank and put the fifty grand in an account for her, with an ATM card. They went to the real estate agent and he picked up the listing she agreed to print for him. He stopped by Greg's car lot, Greg was an old member of the team and he bought a fairly new car for getting around. He followed David back to the house, and gave Megan the card for the account and the pin number. David packed her into the car, and drove her to the air port three hours away.

He drove into town, after David left, and started checking out the houses on the list. Most of them were just too fucking small. It was a small town after all; he was seriously starting to consider building when he came to the house, third one from the bottom of the list. It was an older two story house. It had been empty for a while, and he could see that there was a whole lot of work to be done on it, but it showed promise.

The rooms on the bottom floor, from what he could see in the windows, were nice sized, the kitchen was at least able to be worked in, and it had hard wood floors not carpeting. Much easier to work on remodeling and the pool in the back yard was a plus. He climbed up onto the back porch roof and looked into some of the second story windows. Nice big master bedroom with a huge old claw foot tub in the bathroom. That almost decided him right then and there.

He went and looked at the other two houses, but that was the only one that would work, in his mind. He called the agent and went back to the house. It was as he pulled up that he realized the house backed up on the high school campus. That would be perfect she could just walk out the back door and across the back yard and be at school.

The agent showed up, and they toured the house. The asking price was outrageous for this small a town, but he put in a bid anyway, at twenty grand under asking, to see if they would come down. The agent started talking about financing and he just growled at her.

"I ain't financing shit, I'll pay cash." She just gasped, it was well over a quarter million dollars for the house, and he didn't even bat an eye. He could smell her greed and knew she would encourage the sellers to accept his bid.

He drove off, and back out to David and Diane's. Soon he would have a home to take his Kitten to when she was ready. He was going to have to furnish it, take care of the remodeling. He hoped he would have enough time. The pool alone was going to take about twenty grand to get where he would swim in it, it needed a heater, a pool house, a special cover so that it could be enclosed and used in the winter.

"You have it all planned don't you, Vic." David laughed at him when he got home.

"I don't know about all, but I don't want her to be stuck in that little cabin of yours." They were back in Dave's workshop. He heard the bus, and headed for the house. David just chuckled and went back to his knife project.

Kitten was in the kitchen, getting an afterschool snack. He just stood there, in the back door. She was bent over in the fridge, digging out a soda. She was wearing a long peasant skirt, and loose peasant top. She looked so young, and he wondered, again if this was the wisest thing for him to be doing.

She stood up, and turned to face him. He knew she had known he was there; he was waiting for her to let him know she was ready to talk. She put her soda down on the table, and picked up an apple from the basket on the island in the kitchen.

"Where's Megan?" She finally asked.

"On her way to New York." He answered.

"How did she do that?" She said, then bit into the crisp apple.

"I paid for it. She needed to get out of here, or she was going to get hurt." She was angry, he could smell it, but she didn't show it.

"That was nice of you." She opened the soda, and took a drink.

"I didn't do it to be nice; I did it to keep from killing her." She choked on her drink, snorting it out her nose, and then she laughed, low musical, and very grown up laughter. He laughed with her, just enjoying the sound, how it played along his nerve endings, sending shivers down his spine. This was his Kitten.

She grabbed her books and headed for the stairs. "I have homework."

"Anything I can help with?" He leaned back on the counter, watching her walk toward the stairs.

"Not unless you can do advanced Calculus." She threw back over her shoulder.

"I might surprise you." He said it as a challenge, with a low growl in his voice, and the feral in her took it. She turned around and threw her book bag on the table and dug out her book.

She threw it on the table, and it opened to where she had a piece of paper sticking out of it, where she had already started the problems. He grabbed one of the chairs, turned it so that its back was to the table and straddled it, and picked up the book.

He could tell she NEEDED help with this. Her first problem was wrong and so was the third. The second she had managed to get right, but some of the steps were wrong. He started explaining it to her, and she just looked at him, then sat her soda down, and pulled out the chair. She sat down, pulled out her pencil, and started listening. They were sitting there, working when Diane came in to cook dinner. She smiled at the pair at the table.

Her hair was falling in her face, and he reached out one clawed finger to brush it back, without thinking about it. She started, and he was assaulted by the sudden scent of her arousal. It hit him like a ton of bricks. Diane came out of the kitchen and told them to clear out; she was setting the table for dinner. Katherine gathered up her books and ran for the stairs.

Diane came over and gently tapped his chin. "Do you want me to pick this up off the floor for you?" He growled at her and went into the family room.

Where had that come from? She couldn't be attracted to him, not now. Later when her cycle started, she wouldn't have any choice, but now…now…SHIT! He sat there, his head in his hands. She couldn't, hell; she SHOULDN'T be attracted to him. She was too fucking young.

He didn't know if he should go upstairs and yell at her, tell her what an idiot she was being, what an asshole he was; or go quietly and leave her alone, knowing she knew he had smelled her and she had to be embarrassed. He just sat there. Confusion was something new for him, he usually planned, and well, for most things, but this, this was unexpected at best.

He heard Diane go up the stairs, and the quiet sound of female voices, just low enough that he couldn't make out what they were saying. He didn't know what to do. He could hear Dave Jr. upstairs playing music, David out in the shed, his grinder going. Victor wanted to run. What was it about a teenage girl wanting him that frightened him so damned much. He had to admit it, there was fear in the room, and it was all his.

Diane came back down, and fixed the Kitten a plate and took it back upstairs. SHIT! She wouldn't even face him.

He decided to pass on dinner himself and walked out to the cabin. He sat there, in the dark, quietly thinking. He almost had it figured out he thought, Megan had said she had a crush, ok that wasn't bad…crush could go a long way to help the situation, later. But now – now it was causing all manner of hell. She was hurting, and over him and – the tear landing on his arm surprised him – SHIT. He couldn't remember the last time tears had come out of his eyes. He would NEVER admit to a frail thing like crying, but – SHIT! Another one landed, and then another.

He sat there in the dark and let the tears fall. He wasn't fucking crying, there had to be something in his eyes that was it, something in his eyes. His baby was hurting and he couldn't do anything to help, he felt so fucking frail, so fucking helpless. She wasn't ready, wasn't in danger yet, and he would be DAMNED if he would steal a moment more of her childhood than he had to.

It would be so easy, to go back up to the house, demand that they give her to him, NOW, instead of waiting. Hell, he was actually thinking about it, planning how to do it, what he would say, how he would convince them it was for the best. But no, it wasn't fair to her. She deserved every MOMENT he could give her, every moment of childhood, of innocence. Instead of walking up there and demanding his mate, he went, took a long hot shower, and lay down on his lonely bed, aching to hold her. He still hadn't had her in his arms, since he had been here, not once, not ONCE had he held her. It wasn't even sex; he just wanted to hold her against him. He tried to sleep, but it just wouldn't come.

Finally he got up, pulled on a pair of jeans and a T shirt, and went back to the house…sure enough she was sitting on the ridgepole of the roof. He let her see him, let her see him walk toward the house. She could get away if she wanted, drop down into her room, and avoid him. She didn't, she just sat there. He climbed up slowly, giving her time to run, to bolt.

"Hi, Victor." She whispered.

"Hi." He sat down, close enough that she could touch him if she wanted but far enough that he wasn't crowding her.

"You ok?" he finally asked.

"Yea. Sorry if I spooked you."

"No, you didn't."

"Don't lie…I can smell it." She said, turning her head to look at him for the first time. Hoist on his own petard…

He chuckled…"Ok, you spooked me a bit."

"Just a bit."

"Yea." She smiled at him a little.

"I'm sorry." She whispered it.

"Don't be. I'm flattered." He smiled; he wanted her to relax, to be his Kitten again, not this strange woman in the dark.

She laughed, that low musical laugh, and he tried, hard to hide his reaction, but she could smell him as easily as he smelled her.

"Goodnight, Vic." She stood and he watched as she executed her maneuver to get into her room. He almost followed her, almost took what was his right then, instead he walked to the end of the ridge and jumped to the ground. Soon, not yet, but soon she would be his.

He made his way down to the cabin and lay back down, closed his eyes and let the troubled sleep come. Morning wasn't much better. He didn't make it in time for her to see him before school. He helped David in his shop for a while, and then Diane shouted that he had a phone call.

It was the real estate agent, they had accepted his bid, and she could speed up the closing, if he would make the deposit that day. He grabbed his jacket and headed for the car. At least something was going right. He called his bank and wired the money to the bank here in town. He dropped by the bank and picked up a cashier's check for the full amount, took that to the agent's office and signed the papers. As long as the title work was clear, he should be able to start work on the house by the end of the week.

He drove by the school, hoping she would be outside, but it was quiet. He drove back out to the house. Diane had gone out somewhere, and David was gone as well. He went out to the cabin and tried to relax. He dug through his bag, there wasn't much in there, some clothes, and a few things he had picked up for the Kitten, for someday. The box for the ring, a pendant, and earrings he had bought somewhere, a bracelet, all with boxes, all expensive, all delicate and all with cats everywhere.

He heard the bus run, and headed up to the house. She was walking up the steps as he entered the yard. She looked back over her shoulder and smiled at him. As he walked closer he smelled it, someone, some MALE had touched her, touched his KITTEN. He snarled, he growled, he walked up to her, and took a deep breath. His smell was on her shoulders, her hands, her LIPS! HE'D KISSED HER! He wanted to rip his fucking head off.

"Now maybe you know how it feels." She said, coolly. He stepped back off the steps as if he had been struck. She turned and walked into the house. SHIT! He felt as if his gut had been ripped open by his own claws. She closed the door and he just stood there. He turned around and sat on the steps. She couldn't have hurt like this - she couldn't have. He was still sitting there when David and Diane drove up a little while later. They both were smart enough not to talk to him; David just patted him on the shoulder as he passed him on the steps. Dave Jr. was sleeping over at a friend's tonight, working on a project for school.

Diane just brought him a plate and sat next to him on the steps. He ate, but he didn't taste a thing. He sat there till after night fall, and then quietly headed for the cabin. She hadn't come out, he hadn't heard a thing out of her, and he just wanted to dig a hole and crawl into it. He showered, and put on his sweats for sleeping. He knew he wouldn't sleep, not until he went to see if she was on the roof.

He walked to the house, all the lights were out, and only her silhouette drew him closer. He let her see him approach; let her know he was climbing up. She was just sitting there, and again he sat close enough to touch, but far enough to not crowd her.

"I'm sorry. That was mean." She whispered.

"I deserved it." And he did, he had gone to her still stinking like her own sister, he deserved far worse.

"Victor, I don't know what is going on, things are changing, and I don't want them to." He could smell her tears. He wanted so badly to pull her into his arms, let her cry on his shoulder like she used to, but he was afraid she wouldn't allow it.

"Life changes, it never stays the same, Kitten."

"Do you miss working, the things you and Dad used to do, I remember sitting…listening to you two talk about the fights, the violence, and the blood. You both thought I was too young to understand, but I did."

"Sometimes, to be honest I haven't stopped working. I haven't in the few days I have been here, and I'm not going to, not any time in the near future." He needed her to understand that. He knew if she asked, he would try like hell, but he honestly didn't know if he could quit.

"I wonder what it is like sometimes, to let the rage go, to just let it consume you, and not worry about what would happen if you did." Her voice was soft, but there was something, an edge in it that worried him.

He took a deep breath to answer her, and that was when it hit him. She was starting her cycle. He needed to get away, needed space, she needed to understand before he did anything, and he didn't think he had the willpower to explain it. He stood up, intending to walk away, but she stood at the same moment, and she was too close, smelled too sweet.

His arm snaked out, grabbing her around the waist, crushing her against him, his mouth descended on hers, and he honestly tried to make it gentle, but the scent of her heat was driving him insane. Her mouth was fresh and young and untouched, he could taste it, he was the first one to kiss her like this, and that drove his passion higher. He didn't even stop when he tasted blood. He was so far gone he didn't know if it was hers or his. He felt his fingers twist into her shirt, claws cutting the material, and he was about to rip it off, when the smell of fear assaulted him. It was her fear that stopped him, that made him pick her up, throw her over his shoulder and jump down from the roof. He ALMOST took off for the cabin, but didn't, he kicked in the front door of the house and dumped her in one of the chairs in the living room, and roared for David and Diane.

They both came running down the stairs and stopped when they saw him breathing hard, the Kitten half slumped in a chair, fresh blood and five claw holes on her shirt. David took one look at the situation and nearly came unglued. Diane ran to Katherine and put her arms around her daughter. David stood protectively in front of Katherine, as if he could stop what was happening.

"Explain…I'll be at the cabin." He growled low, causing all three to jump. He turned and walked out, walked slowly to the cabin, fighting his instincts every step of the way. His mate was back in that house, she needed him, and he was walking away. She was afraid, afraid of him, maybe this was a bad idea, and maybe she needed someone else, someone who wouldn't frighten her, wouldn't overwhelm her.

He made it to the cabin, and started to pace.

_HOW FUCKING LONG DID IT TAKE?!_ He thought, and then cursed himself for it.

She was young, he had INSISTED they not tell her anything, not take that innocence away from her, he couldn't expect her to just accept it. She was going to have questions, lots of questions. HELL! He could be pacing here all night, all fucking weekend. He reached for the door, planning to go storming back up there, but stopped himself. She needed this time, needed to understand what was happening, and he NEEDED to give it to her. It went against every cell in his body, but she wasn't just a feral he found along the road or a frail in a bar, she was his MATE, and he didn't want her unhappy in any way.

He didn't know how long he paced, walked from the couch to the table in the kitchenette, to the bedroom door. He changed the bed, took a shower, tried to decide what to wear, and then decided it wasn't going to matter, he wouldn't be wearing it long anyway. He pulled on a clean pair of jeans and a T shirt, and then took off the shirt. He hadn't been wearing one on the roof and could still feel her fingers curled in the soft hair on his chest. He walked along the back of the couch, and sat down, and then stood up and paced the triangle again.

There was a quiet knock on the door and he stopped dead in his tracks. The knock came again, and he could smell her standing there. He tried to breath, but it was as if every breath stuck in the back of his throat, his lungs were burning, and then the knob turned, and the door started to open…

**THREE HOURS EARLIER….IN THE HOUSE**

She sat there stunned. What the hell had happened? For that matter, what the hell was happening to her? She felt hot, sweaty, there was a burning sensation down low in her gut, and it had been bothering her all evening. When he had kissed her, it had backed off, but now it was back, worse than ever.

_HE HAD KISSED HER!!!_

The ONE thing she had wanted, the one thing she dreamed about every night, had happened. Victor had KISSED her, and not some peck like George had given her earlier, to make him jealous, but a REAL kiss. He had pressed her hard against his body, and she had just let him support her. Her knees had gone out but he hadn't even noticed.

"DAVID…DIANE GET THE HELL DOWN HERE NOW!!!!!" He roared. He glared at her. Why had he stopped? Why had he started? They had just been talking, and she had been getting ready to go back to her room and to bed, when he had grabbed her. Her head was still spinning, and that ache was getting worse, watching him pace the floor.

Her parents came running down the stairs. Her mother took one look at her and sat on the arm of the chair. Her father stood between her and Victor, his hands loose at his side, but ready to defend her if he had to.

"Explain…I'll be at the cabin." Victor said…and walked out the door. Each step that he took away from her caused the ache to get worse. Her mother's arm tightened around her shoulders and her father turned and stared at her, almost like she had grown another head. Her mutation had never bothered her parents, but something was causing them to be worried.

"What happened?" Her father asked as he sat in a chair opposite her.

"DAVID!" Her mother said a bite in her voice. "We know what has happened."

"I meant how we ended up here, with him out there." Her mother gave a short snort of laughter at that.

He looked straight at her, and she trembled. He wasn't angry, but he was in pain, afraid, and somehow she knew it was for her.

"We were talking on the roof, and he kissed me." She was afraid her father would go ballistic, but he just put his head in his hands. "Then suddenly he picked me up, jumped off the roof and brought me in here."

Her father was running his fingers through his graying hair. She knew he was upset, afraid, hurting, and something else, not angry, more resigned. Her mother was afraid, hurting and almost anticipatory. Both of their fear was getting on her nerves. It wasn't enough that she had Victor acting strange but now her parents, and this damned burning ache just wouldn't go away.

"Will someone tell me what is going on!?" She hissed it, she was uncomfortable, and she wanted something, needed something and didn't know what. This was almost like what she had felt at the table the other day, but so much STRONGER.

"Kitten…" Her father looked at her, then stood up and started pacing. "I don't want to spin you any fairy tales so here goes…Victor is your mate; he has been waiting for you to grow up, to go into your first heat. He told us about this, the day you were born, and I am not an idiot, I didn't just take his word, no matter how much I trust him. I called some friends who know a thing or two about mutants and they backed up what he said. This first heat could kill you, without a mate. Victor promised to be there, to get you through it, and I was grateful at the time."

He looked at her, and she smelled his fear escalating. "I know Victor has always been here, been a friend, but there are things about him you don't know, don't understand. He isn't kind, he isn't gentle. He's a killer, plain and simple. He enjoys it, the pain, the blood; they are like a rush to him. You need to know these things. I have fought beside him, hell I owe him my life a couple times over, but the idea of handing you over to him, knowing what he is capable of scares the hell out of me."

"David, frightening her isn't going to help." Her mother said over her head.

"Well I don't want her thinking its going to be all wine and roses either. He's a fucking monster, when his rage hits, and she will be dealing with it the rest of her life."

"David, go take a walk." Her mother said, squeezing her a little for reassurance.

Her father stood up and stormed out the broken front door. They waited until they heard the grinder start up in his workshop, and then her mother stood and took the chair he had vacated.

"Katherine, I am not going to sugar coat this. Victor can be a total ass, but he loves you. He has been waiting for you since you were four hours old. I don't know him as well as your dad does, and I didn't like him much at first when I met him, but he has never been anything but kind to me, to this family, and I know, I KNOW he won't be anything but kind to you."

"Will someone please put all of this in plain English? SHIT! I am just not getting my brain around this." She shouted.

Her mother looked at her and sighed. She stood up. "Wait here." She said and left the room. When she came back she had a box with a ribbon around it. "I wanted to make sure you had something special for this. From what your father and Victor have said over the years, tonight, more than anything else, will be your wedding."

"WEDDING?!" She shouted what the bloody fuck was going on. "What do you mean, wedding, mom?

"Well, this mating, it's permanent, he is your mate, and will be for the rest of your life. Even if you don't have anything to do with each other but allowing him to get your through your heat cycles, according to all the information we have found out, that will be every ten years or so, for the rest of a VERY long life. Victor is over one hundred years old Katherine."

She sat there stunned for a moment. Over one hundred years, and she healed like he did, would she live that long? She looked down at the box in her lap, almost afraid to untie the bow. She pulled on it and watched the yellowed satin slip from the knot. Inside was a simple dress, nothing fancy, nothing expensive, but a simple sheath dress, in an off white, with a matching pair of flat slippers.

"It was your grandmother's. If it doesn't fit, we can do something else before tomorrow. Your Father and I have insisted that no matter what happens, no matter what else, that all the legalities be taken care of as soon as possible."

"Mom, I have school tomorrow, I am not wearing some antique dress to school." Her mother glared at her.

"Kitten, to be honest, I expect you to wear the dress tonight when you walk out to that cabin and let your mate make a woman out of you. I am not going to let you die, just because you are stubborn and pig headed, and I honestly don't expect the dress to survive the night." Her mother had never been this sharp with her, this angry.

"Sorry Mom, I just still don't understand all of this. I mean Uncle Vic, he's been there my whole life, and now, suddenly, I am supposed to marry him, have … sex with him." Not that she hadn't thought about it, a lot, but to be told she had to or she would die. That was a little harsh.

"Katherine, honestly, how do YOU feel about Victor? I know what you said the other day, after he helped you with your homework. You were so afraid he would react differently to you if he knew you found him attractive, and you didn't want that, because you were afraid he would leave, and having him here and seeing you as a child was better than him being gone."

"Mom…I love him, I always have, and yes I love him THAT way. I just NEVER thought he could feel that way for me, I'm just a kid, and well I thought he was like your's and Dad's age, but NOW…SHIT! He's over a century old and I am only seventeen. WHAT THE HELL would HE want with ME?"

"The same thing men have been wanting with women for centuries…to love you, to have you as his mate, his partner, his wife. He has been planning this for seventeen years, eight months four days, and"…she looked at the clock "nine hours."

"But, why?"

"Your Dad told me, when he carried you out to the waiting room, you were screaming, you quieted down immediately when he picked you up, I watched you when he brought you to me, telling me to 'feed his mate' and all you wanted was him. I have watched you with him, and him with you as you have grown, and it's always been YOU he came to see, you he checked on, you who could calm the beast inside him with a touch, no matter how OLD you were. I'd say he has been patient."

"I don't know what to do." She moaned. The ache was getting worse, and now her head was pounding too.

"It's your choice, Kitten. I told him YOU would have to choose to go to him that was my only condition. I am going to let you think about this, it's your life, your choice and your father and I will support you, no matter what you choose. We would hate to lose you, but if that is what you choose…" Her mother stood up and walked out of the room. She sat there, staring at the dress in her lap.

Her sister had stolen her diary, years ago, and had been teasing her mercilessly since about her being in love with Victor. Things had gotten really nasty, she knew everyone had heard the end of the argument, but no one had heard the beginning, how her sister promised that even if Victor WOULD see Katherine as anything but a kid, then it would be Megan's 'sloppy seconds' that she would get to enjoy. She had wanted to kill Megan for it, and if their father hadn't interrupted she might have.

She had to know. HE had paid for Megan to go to New York, had come to the roof with her scent all over him, and Megan had been so smug that night when she came back from the cabin. If he did, she wouldn't blame him, but she knew she wouldn't ever be able to see him the same way again, and NEVER be able to let him touch her. She finally stood up, and pulled the dress out of the box.

She pulled the ruined T shirt off over her head and slipped her jeans down over her hips and to the floor. She slipped the dress over her head, and it was a perfect fit. The shoes were just a little big, but she could wear them. She had made a decision. If he could answer one question with an honest No, then she would do this, if not, then she wouldn't have to worry about school tomorrow, or her perfect attendance record.

She walked out the ruined front door, and started slowly down the path to the cabin. She was trembling in the night air, the sleeveless dress not very warm against the cool breeze. She stood in front of his door…and finally raised her hand to knock. She could hear him moving inside, and heard him stop at her knock. He didn't say anything, so she stood waiting for something. Maybe he didn't want this, maybe he had changed his mind, even if he had, and she still had to know. She reached down and started to turn the knob, and swing the door open.


	3. Chapter 3

Kittens Have Claws, Too.

Sabretooth has found his mate. Does he have the patience to wait for her?

A/N Contorce: We thank you much….

Talhmorra: As always thank you for the great review.

Tankerslady: TY for all the reviews…

Kari Lynn Craine – Sorry about the cliffhanger but at nearly 20 pages I needed to stop that chapter…it was growing into a novel by itself

Arden Skysender: There are times I wish he would move out of my head…but when he claims something, getting it away from him is DANGEROUS….enjoy the rest…and please look up of Ferity by Lady Mage as well.

Chapter 3

He stared at the door, as it swung open. She was standing there, her shoulder length brown hair curling in the breeze. She was wearing an ivory gown of some sort, and he just stopped breathing. He was torn. He wanted to take her in his arms, ease the ache he had been feeling since he got there, the need to hold her, and yet he wanted to rip that rag off of her body and claim her. He took one step, and then another toward the door.

She held up her hand, stopping him. "Before this goes any further, Victor, there is something I must know- and know that everything will be riding on your answer. Did you sleep with Megan; did you have sex with my sister?"

He stared at her in shock. Could she HONESTLY not know the answer to that? He took another step toward her, and then stopped. She was standing there, trembling, fear coming off of her in waves. Her heat was assaulting him and the combination was setting off every mating instinct in his body.

She started to back away, and he knew she was taking his silence as a Yes, that she would rather die, than have him touch her after her sister. He had to stop her, had to explain, but his body was screaming at him to take her. He finally lunged forward, and grabbed her by both arms, digging his claws in, deep, blood running down onto the dirt in front of the cabin.

"NO you little FOOL! WOULD I BE THAT STUPID?!" He roared at her.

He pulled her against him, crushing her mouth with his. His hands, still covered in her blood, tangled in her hair, his control snapping with his anger. His tongue invaded her mouth, his teeth bit at her lips, one hand trailed down her back, grinding her against the front of him, letting her know, in the most primitive of ways, exactly how much he needed her.

She began to fight him, her claws raking his naked back and chest, her teeth biting him back. He finally grabbed her wrists, pinning them behind her back, and then picked her up and threw her over his shoulder. She was HIS, by God, and NOTHING was going to stop him claiming her, well except her. He carried her into the bedroom and threw her down on the bed, she came up hissing and spitting and clawing like, well a Kitten.

She clawed at him, backing into the corner against the wall, claws out, fangs bared. She tried to lunge past him, for the door of the room but he grabbed her by the waist and threw her back down on the bed. He managed to get her hands confined in one of his, and pinned to the mattress over her head. He pinned her body between his and the mattress, confining her legs between his, her head reared up and she bit him, hard on the shoulder.

She had no idea how that aroused him, how much his instincts were on overdrive, but he wasn't going to hurt her, no matter how aroused he got. He used his free hand and grabbed her hair, pulling her head back so he could look at her. His blood was staining her chin and she was growling and snarling and spitting.

"Kitten, please, stop. I need you to listen to me, please." She stopped struggling and looked up at him. "I am not going to hurt you. I am not going to do anything you don't want me to do. Please, listen to me."

"What are you going to do to me?" The tears were flowing from her eyes and he could smell her fear and heat.

"I will let you go, if that is what you want. Kitten, please, just listen to me." He looked down into her pitch black eyes. He let himself start the soothing purr, the one that had always lulled her in the past. Her eyes faded back to their normal brown. She calmed down, stopped struggling under him.

"We need to talk, Kitten, please."

"Talk about what, you are going to do this, even if I don't want to."

"GOD! Kitten. You believe I would do that, to YOU! Kitten, you are my LIFE! If you choose to leave, if you choose for this not to happen, I will do my damnedest to die with you." He looked into her eyes, and leaned down, kissing her gently on her lips. He lifted himself off of her, releasing her hands. He pulled back, sitting up and on the edge of the bed. He waited for her to leave. She sat up, leaning on her elbows.

"You mean that…you would try to die with me?"

He looked at his claws, trying to think of a way to end his own life with them. "Yes."

"Victor, that's not going to happen, I…" She closed her eyes, and took a deep calming breath. "I love you. I have my whole life. This whole thing is scary, I don't want to die, and I don't want to lose you. I would rather…die…than lose you. This will change things, change us."

"Damn it, Kitten, I ain't Uncle Vic anymore. I think you realized it before I did. You are my mate, and we can't go back, things will change, one way or the other, and both changes are permanent. Either you are my mate - my wife - my life or I lose you forever, and I don't know that I could survive that sane."

"I just don't know what to do."

"It's your choice, Kitten, but you need to choose soon, or the choice will be taken out of both of our hands. This thing, this cycle only lasts a short time, and that is something we are running out of…"

"That's not what I meant. I mean I …don't…know…what …to …do."

"OH!" SHIT! No, wait that was a good thing, he couldn't stop the small grin from spreading across his face.

He turned back to her on the bed, he reached out to touch her and saw the blood on his hands. He'd been blind to it before, but now…now there was no way he was going to touch her with these hands.

"I can't…I can't do this…I can't…" He started trembling, he could smell his own fear, and he reached those bloody hands up to cover his own face. He could feel his eyes burning, and knew there was something in them again. There was no way in hell he was crying. He felt her hands, gentle on his naked back, stroking, leaning her head on his shoulder, her lips gently kissing the side of his neck.

"Victor…" she whispered against his ear "can we deal with repercussions later, I am getting really uncomfortable, and this burning ache won't go away, and I don't want to die, I want to be you mate, your wife." Her lips were brushing against his ear, sending electrical shocks down his spine, reigniting the fire her fear and tears had nearly extinguished. He couldn't stop himself, he growled, low and felt her tremble, smelled the fresh wave of arousal.

"Give me just a moment." He said softly. He stood up, grabbed his bag and walked into the bathroom. He had a couple things he needed to do before he lost all control. "If that…umm…dress…means anything to you, you might want to get out of it before I get out of here." He heard her in the other room, scramble out of the bed, and pulling the on the old silk. He turned on the water in the sink and washed her blood off of his hands. He reached over and unfastened the front pocket on the bag, where he kept his toiletries and pulled out the package he had picked up in town yesterday. After his talk with her dad, the last thing he was going to do was let her have a cub now. He just hoped to hell he could remember to use the damned things, once they got started.

"I need to clean up a bit, myself…" She was standing at the door, the dress in one hand, and he almost lost control right then. He closed his eyes and leaned on the skink.

"KITTEN!" He growled.

"I'll…use the kitchen sink."

"Good idea." What the hell did she think she was doing prancing around here naked? Okay, so he told her to, but didn't she have any idea what she was doing to him? How much he wanted her right now? No, she didn't, damn it. He almost wished she did. It would be easier. He heard water running and picked up the package and put it on the little table next to the bed. She came back into the bedroom; the dress wasn't with her. Had she left it somewhere?

"Your dress?"

"Soaking in cold water, hopefully the blood will come out." A shudder wracked her small frame and he knew they were running out of time.

"Kitten…" he could hear the anguish in his own voice. He took the two strides to her and picked her up into his arms. She heaved a sigh as he touched her and relaxed completely in his arms. "Just trust me; I'll take care of everything."

He lay her down in the middle of the bed, gently stroking her sides, her stomach as he leaned over her. He had lost his chance to make this gentle, he was going to hurt her, and he hated it, but as far-gone as she was, it was the only way to save her.

He lay down next to her, barely touching her skin with his, he could feel the fire burning inside her and knew he had to do something soon to quench it. He leaned in, gently taking her mouth with his. She moaned against his lips, and he deepened his kiss, taking a taste, not rushing her. Her hand shot up, and grabbed his hair, pulling him down to her, grinding her lips against his. Her need had taken over, her instincts kicking in, and he had to force himself to keep to her pace.

She kissed the corner of his mouth, down his jaw line, gentle kisses and nips, and he moaned and growled as he stretched his neck up, exposing his jugular to her teeth if she should so choose. She kept kissing and nipping down his neck, until she reached the thick muscle where neck joined shoulder. She pulled back just a second and looked at him, and then with gentle kisses, licks, and nips moved on. He moaned as her mouth moved down his chest, and stopped right below his left nipple, he shuddered as her breath teased that sensitive piece of skin, and then roared in pain as she grabbed a mouthful of flesh in her mouth and bit down, drawing blood. He growled at her, and she released him.

She looked up at him with passion filled eyes, and he knew that his blood had helped fuel it. He leaned down and licked blood off of her lips, her chin and then began his own exploration of her neck, reaching that spot, where shoulder met neck, and let his own fangs sink in, drawing her blood into his mouth. God she tasted sweet and her scream of lust and pain almost sent him over the edge. He moaned against the healing wound on her neck, and was surprised to see it scar. Her healing factor should have healed it completely, but there it was a perfect scar of his teeth marks.

He could smell her readiness and worked one hand down her body, easing her thighs apart, sliding one of his between her legs, allowing her to grind her hips against him, and seeking relief for the ache inside her. He lifted his mouth from her neck and looked into her eyes. He reached back behind him for the package on the table, this needed to be done, as much as he had wanted to wait longer, give her more time, time was up, and he had no choice.

He pulled one of the foil packages out of the box and ripped it open with his teeth. FUCK! He hated these things. He would be so glad when this damned fertile cycle was over, and he could quit using them. He reached down and slipped the damned piece of latex over himself, and then leaned down and kissed her deeply, positioning himself between her thighs.

"I am sorry, Kitten, this is going to hurt." He tried to ease himself in, but her body was so ready for him, he just slid right up against her barrier. It felt so good being inside her, he almost allowed himself to just sheath himself completely and damn the pain, but her small wince stopped him. He was supporting himself on his hands, on either side of her shoulders, his head thrown back. He had never been in this situation, trying to go easy, go slow. It had never been important before.

"Victor…PLEASE…" She arched her body under him, and he couldn't hold back any longer. He felt the tear, smelled the blood, of his passage, and then he was fully sheathed inside her. He held still, trying to allow her body to adjust, but her need wouldn't have anything to do with it. She began to arch under him, begging him to give her what her body needed.

He captured her mouth with his, and began a slow rhythm trying to build her to a release, but she wouldn't allow him to be gentle. She started to grind herself against him, driving him deeper, setting her own speed, and he gave up, and allowed her to set the pace. He felt her climax, even though his was a long way off, and captured her cry of surprise and release in his mouth. He lifted his head and looked down at her, grinning.

"Well, that's a good start." He reached back, and grabbed her legs, guiding her to wrap them around his waist. He reached his own rhythm, trying to bring himself to release, to make it easy on her. Healing factor or not, this had to be painful. He heard her moaning under him, felt the sting of her claws in his back and felt her soft lips on his chest, the sting of her teeth as she sank them in, the spasms of her muscles as she reached her second release, and he threw his head back, and roared in his own release.

He collapsed on top of her, spent. Her body was sated, for now. This would go on for several more days, but the danger was over. Her body, her mutation had accepted him, claimed him as her mate, and her instincts would force her to seek him out, in her time of need for the rest of her life. She was bound to him with far stronger bonds than those pitiful human bonds of marriage, but she would have those, too. That reminded him, and with a deep regret he separated their bodies and threw away the used condom.

He reached over the side of the bed and grabbed his jeans.

"I know it's here somewhere…" he rolled to his back and pulled them up onto the bed. Finally he found what he was looking for, in the small change pocket, the ring. He pulled it out, and rolled to look at her. Her face was turned away, staring at the wall, and he could smell tears.

"Kitten…please, don't."

"I…don't know…" Her quiet sob ripped through him. He rolled onto his side and reached out, putting one finger on her chin, and with gentle pressure guided her to look at him. He leaned down and kissed away her tears.

"You don't know what?" He whispered.

"I don't know if I can be what you want, what you need. I have so many things I want to do, but now all of that is gone."

"WHAT!"

"How can I finish school, if I am traveling with you, I can't go to college, I wanted this, maybe, someday, but now that it is here, I am giving up so much?"

"You ain't giving up shit." He looked out the window, there was still a couple hours of darkness left. She was going to need her sleep, if she was going to make it to school in the morning.

"What?"

"I bought a fucking house so you didn't have to get up so damned early for school. It's right behind the school, so you will just have to walk out the damned back door. As for college…shit, pick a fucking school, I'll pay the damned tuition, and buy us a house where ever the damned school is."

"REALLY!"

"Naa, Kitten, I am going ta keep ya barefoot and pregnant, that's why I am using FUCKING condoms." She giggled, and then let out a full laugh. He reached over and pulled her against him, rolling onto his back so that she was lying on his chest. He reached with one foot and grabbed the sheet and blanket that had somehow ended up at the foot of the bed and pulled it up, covering them both.

"Now get some sleep, before I turn you over my knee and beat some sense into you." She laughed again, and laid her head on his shoulder. He couldn't stop himself he began the low purr that always put her to sleep when she was younger. In no time he felt her go slack; sound asleep on his chest. He closed his eyes, thinking to get a couple hours sleep.

David pounding on the bedroom door woke them both.

"Ok, enough games, Katherine, you are going to miss the bus if you don't get a move on, unless you want us to call you in sick, we have a lot to take care of today."

"SHIT! What time is it, Dad?" She shouted.

"Five thirty." She jumped up out of bed and he watched her face redden. She started looking around for something to put on and he reached over and handed her one of his T-shirts. She glared at him, but pulled it on. He reached out and pulled her against him. He felt something digging into his back, and reached behind him. It was the damned ring. He had forgotten it last night.

He grabbed her left hand and slipped it onto her ring finger. She didn't even look at it, just glared at him. He reached behind her head and pulled her down for a kiss. She was his, and nothing could change that now.

"I have to go, Victor. I don't want to mess up my perfect attendance." She opened the bedroom door and ran past her father. Dave glared at Victor who was still lying in bed, the sheets barely pulled up to his waist. Victor couldn't blame him for being upset, but he couldn't stop a small smile. She was finally his.

"Victor, we need to talk about some things." David walked into the room.

"I'm listening." He tried not to growl at his friend.

"She has three months of school left, and she is working hard on a scholarship. I don't want her to lose out on anything, but I also don't want her at loose ends."

"Damn, Dave I ain't going to stop any of those things, I don't plan on interfering in her education or school activities."

"She doesn't need to worry, Victor, she doesn't need to be in a panic. I guess what I am saying…I want you to be careful…"

He picked up the box from the table and threw it at David.

"Careful enough for ya."

"At least you are thinking ahead…like usual." David gave him a sardonic smile.

"Hey, just because some people think I am stupid, doesn't give you license to think so. I KNOW you know better."

David just nodded at him and left the room. Victor waited until he left the cabin before climbing out of bed and getting a shower. He was standing in front of the mirror, and noticed something. He looked down, just to be certain. He had to see this with his naked eyes. She had marked him…she had MARKED him, and his body had accepted it. He looked at the scar right below his left nipple, right over his heart. He grinned, she was his, but by God she made sure he knew he was HERS. He went back into the bedroom with a smile on his face and dressed in his last pair of pants, actually a pair of tailored slacks, and pulled out a muted blue polo. One thing he was going to have to do is some shopping.

He hurried up to the house; he wanted to see his Kitten before she climbed on the bus. He made it in time for breakfast, Diane was a little less judgmental, and put a plate of eggs and bacon with toast in front of him. Katherine came running down the stairs, her curly hair still damp from her shower. She was wearing a simple skirt and blouse. He waited until she was about to pass behind him and he pulled her into his lap for a kiss.

"Victor, I'm going to be late." She pushed off of him and grabbed his piece of toast, dipped it into one of the yokes of his eggs and stuffed it in her mouth as she stood up and ran out the door. He heard the bus horn and then the rev of its engine as it pulled away from the end of the driveway.

The three of them sat at the dining room table, quietly eating their breakfast. There wasn't a whole lot of conversation. It was the first time he had felt awkward with the couple.

"Victor, We need to make a decision, what do you plan on doing about the legalities?"

"Well, I was hoping to take care of it today, but the Kitten wanted to go to school."

"Well, we can take care of the paperwork, especially since she is going to require our signatures for the license. If we can get Al to help out, we should be able to pick her up at lunch and at least get that taken care of." Victor could tell Diane had planned this.

"That's fine with me." He said as she took his empty plate. The sudden ringing of the phone distracted them. David answered, and handed him the handset.

"Mr. Creed, we can close today, the title company has an appointment at two this afternoon." The agent sounded thrilled, and she should, she was getting a huge commission on this sale.

"That is perfect; I would like to be able to get moved in, today." Diane and David both looked at him.

"Well, that will solve a couple problems…I close on a house today."

"A HOUSE!" Diane was shocked.

"Yes, this six thirty for school is full of shit. The house is close to the school, she can get a little more sleep before class."

"You bought a HOUSE. YOU?!"

"I plan on settling down at least until she is through college." Diane was more than a little shocked by this turn of events. David just grunted.

The three of them took off together in the family car; Victor just hoped they could take care of most of the annoyances and the legalities.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

She ran out the door, and down the drive. The bus was just pulling up and she jumped on the bottom step. She was one of the first pickups on the route so she almost always had her choice of seats. She dropped into a seat about midway down the length of the bus. There were only a couple of other kids on the bus, yet, so it was quiet. She looked out the window, the forested road a quiet and rustic canvas for her contemplation.

Yesterday, on this same bus, in this same seat, she had been trying to find a way to let him know just how much he had hurt her, and today, she was his mate. She finally looked at the ring he had slipped onto her hand this morning. It was huge, the center stone glinting in the dawn light, but she just couldn't even think that it could possibly be real.

She was twisting it around on her hand when her friend, Heather climbed onto the bus. Heather dropped into the seat next to her and rubbed her eyes.

"TGIF…I just wish I didn't have that damned Algebra test today." She moaned.

Katherine ignored her, looking out the window. Somehow, Algebra tests just didn't seem that important today.

"Are you okay?" Heather leaned against her shoulder, nudging her.

"Yeah…"

"Hey…George," The red head climbed up onto the bus. He sat down in the seat in front of the two girls.

"Well, did my sacrifice yesterday work?" He asked turning in the seat, putting his leg up to keep anyone else from sitting with him, and looking over the high back of the seat.

"You could say that…" She grinned a little. He had looked so…hurt when she came home from school yesterday.

"You HAVE to be kidding me. I gave you a peck, how the hell did he even know…"

"I told you, he can smell things like I can, idiot…how's Mark?" George had been out of the closet since ninth grade and was involved with a guy from a neighboring town.

"He was jealous…pissed at me - thinking I had gone straight on him…" The three friends laughed.

"Yeah when there are snowball fights on Satan's front lawn." Heather laughed.

She pulled her thoughts back to the friends around her. She wasn't sure she wanted to let them know what had happened, but she knew it wouldn't be long before she would be spilling the whole story.

"MORNING!" Amy shouted as she got on the bus. God, Little Miss Sunshine was in a GOOD mood this morning. At least Katherine wouldn't have to worry about saying a whole lot for the rest of the drive to school.

"You won't believe what my mom did last night…" Amy started and Katherine zoned out, not listening to the latest antics of Amy's single mother.

The bus pulled up in front of the school. Amy jumped up and blocked the kids from the back of the bus until the rest of them climbed out. Katherine climbed down the steps and started walking toward her locker. The other three followed, and two other students ran up from the bus behind theirs

"Kat…where did you get the shiny…" Terry asked, grabbing her left hand. None of the others had noticed, but she knew Terry would notice. Terry tried to act like she knew everything about fashion and jewelry.

"From Victor…" She said quietly.

Terry lifted the hand in question and looked closely at the ring. "DAMN!"

"What?" Katherine asked. The group of six was stopped in the hall, the others around her in a protective circle.

"THAT'S REAL!" Terry squealed.

"Can't be…" Katherine said. Terry grabbed a mirror and scraped it across the center stone of the ring…the glass was cut, cleanly.

"Well, it cuts glass. That thing has to be at least five carats, and on your LEFT hand…did he ask you to marry him?" Terry was teasing, but Katherine wasn't ready for that question.

"Ummm…we are going to be late." Katherine used the age-old excuse to avoid answering the question. She ducked through the group and to her locker. She unloaded her bag of homework and grabbed her History book. Luckily her locker was well located and she didn't have to carry more than one book at a time.

She slipped into her desk in her first class, and opened the book. The teacher had the assignment written on the board so she opened the her notebook and started reading and answering the questions at the end of the chapter. She could almost do this without thinking about it, and allowed her mind to wonder over the events of the last few days. It was a good thing this class was quiet, and that none of her close friends were in class with her. She tried NOT to think about the events of last night. She didn't want anyone asking her why she was blushing.

The bell rang and she hurried out of the classroom and to her locker. Josh Jenkins was coming toward her, the absolute last person she wanted to see.

"Hi, Katherine…you got a date tonight?"

"Josh, leave me alone." Josh was on the school's varsity football team. She kept hoping that the coach would call spring practice or something so that he would have something to do other than harass her.

"Aww…come on, just one date. Come on, you know you want to."

"Go to hell, Josh."

He tried to block her into her locker, but she just glared at him, and growled. He backed off. One thing about him, he didn't want to make her mad, he had seen her claws one time, and had avoided any repeats.

She ducked under his arm and slammed her locker, almost catching his fingers in the door. She hurried off to her Calculus class. At least she would HAVE to concentrate in there…of course she could also ask Victor for help later…which made her blush. Amy was sitting behind her and laughed.

"Thinking about 'Uncle' Vic again?" She whispered. Damn, but when Amy wasn't going on about her mom's antics, she could be pretty perceptive.

"Quit calling him that." She whispered back.

"Ohhhhhhh…that's how it is." Great, now it would be all over the school.

She hurried out of the room as soon as the bell rang. The next class passed in a blur. She wasn't able to concentrate very well today. Thank goodness it was her Computers class so she didn't have to concentrate much. George was her programming partner, and covered for her. He knew more than the others what had been going on the last few days, but she wasn't ready to discuss the latest twists. He knew when to leave her alone, and she was grateful.

Her AP English class was her last class before lunch, and she walked into the classroom, and Ms. Green was talking to one of the other teachers.

"…the old Baymont place. I saw him the other day. I swear he was seven feet tall, and just gorgeous, long blonde hair, dark eyes, and a body to die for."

"Oh, please, men like that don't just move into town. I bet he is married with five kids and a super model wife." The other teacher responded.

"All I know is; I really hope he isn't."

Katherine sat down in her chair, a surge of jealousy and anger at her favorite teacher surprising her. She only knew one man who met that description and by God he was HER mate. She tried to calm down. This class was small, and there was quite a bit of interaction between students and teacher and she didn't want to arouse Ms. Green's suspicions right now.

"How are you this morning, Katherine?" Ms. Green asked.

"A little distracted today, I am sorry."

"Not a problem we are just going to be reading in class, so relax."

"Thanks."

The other eight students made their way into the class; Amy, George, Heather and Terry were in this class with her. Ms. Green started them reading, and Katherine half listened to the readings. She was just about to start her own reading when the intercom buzzed.

"Ms. Green, Katherine Stephens' father is here to check her out."

"I am sending her to the office now." Ms. Green replied, and the intercom died.

Katherine gathered up her books. She wondered what was wrong; she hoped it wasn't anything that would take all day. She still had three classes after lunch.

She walked to the office. Her father was standing outside the office, and waved her to hurry.

"Dad, what is it?" She said as she walked up

"Lets go, everyone is in Al's chambers." What was he talking about?

She followed him out to the car, and climbed in.

"Dad?"

"Al agreed to get the ceremony over with, so there isn't a big deal. Victor and your mother thought it would be easier this way. I told them we should ask you."

"Ceremony, Dad?"

"I would rather have a real wedding, but Diane and Victor insisted this would be best."

"Oh…Okay…Sure." She was a little confused, but she knew her parents would insist on her being legally married.

"Are you sure about this? I have known Victor a long time…"

"Dad…I love him." Dave heaved a huge sigh.

"You don't know him like I do, Kitten…" She just looked at him, and watched defeat cross his face. "Ok…as long as it's what you want."

"It is, Dad."

The rest of the drive was quiet. Dave pulled into the courthouse parking lot, and they walked up to Judge Jackson's chambers. Victor and her mother were in there, talking to the Judge.

"Al, I know she's young, but she's my mate. I have been waiting for her since she was four hours old, and I couldn't wait any longer." The judge was laughing at his statement as she walked in the door.

"Well now that the bride and her father are here we can get started." Al was another old friend of the family, and she grinned at the judge. Victor walked over and took her hand, slipping the ring off, and holding it. She looked at him, and was suddenly nervous. Did he really WANT to do this or was it something he felt like he had to do?

The ceremony was quick, and simple, and the ring was back on her hand in less than fifteen minutes and she was married. They all signed the license, her parents signing to allow her to be married. Then it was done, and they all climbed into the car. She sat in the back seat, her new husband next to her. Her reached out and took her hand in his, stroking the back of it with his thumb. His kiss in the judge's chambers had been almost perfunctory, but the stroking of his thumb and the soft sounds he was making helped her relax.

They pulled into the school parking lot, and parked in visitor parking. She climbed out and started into the school. Her parents and Victor followed.

"Umm…are you going to class with me?" She asked them.

"No, Kitten, we are going to take care of paperwork. You go on; we'll take care of everything." Victor was right behind her, and reached out and pulled her against him. She turned in his arms, and he gave her a much more satisfying kiss. His hands were in her hair, and she knew she would have to stop by the bathroom before she made it to class. She sighed and leaned her head on his broad chest.

"Get to class, Kitten." She sighed again and turned, heading back into the quiet building. She had missed lunch and was going to be really hungry when she got home.

She hurried down the hallway, a few students still lingering at lockers. She opened her locker and grabbed her Chemistry book. She groaned, Josh was in her Chemistry class. She ducked into the bathroom and ran a brush through her hair. This was going to be a long afternoon.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Victor and his new bride's parents walked into the school office. He had an hour until he had to be at the title company to sign the papers on the house. The secretary wouldn't let them file the name change and address change without them talking to Mr. Tomlinson, the principal.

The fussy little man reminded Victor of the damned kid with the red shades, all rules and regulations, no give, no flexibility.

"I can't allow this. I will not condone underage marriage in this school."

"Mr. Tomlinson, the marriage is legal; there is nothing you can do." Dave said quietly. "My daughter is married, with our consent and blessing, and frankly, unless you plan on kicking her out of school, you have no choice but allow her to change her name, and address due to her change of status."

"This is highly unusual…we have had married students, but they were married, well to either other students, or to someone…well closer to their own age." Victor was trying hard not to growl at the little man.

"What do we do in case of an emergency, which do we contact, her parents or her husband?"

"ME!" Victor finally growled.

The little man looked at him, and Victor almost grinned when he smelled the fear. The staring contest lasted almost a minute, and the stunted administrator backed down.

The man stood up and sent them back to the secretary who took all the information and made all the adjustments in the school records.

They left the school, and made it to the title company right on time. The paperwork was outrageous, but once it was all done, the key was placed in his hand and he owned the house.

They drove back to the David and Diane's house and he got his car and bag. He drove first to the house and walked through. There wasn't much he needed to do inside before it could be moved into, and most of that could be done while living in the house. He drove to a furniture store and bought a house full of furniture. He would worry about fancy later, right now; he wanted to have a home to take her to tonight. He paid extra for quick delivery and set up at the house. School let out in just under an hour, and she had an hour of swim practice after that and he wanted to be there to pick her up.

Money talked, and the house was ready, just in time. Her mother pulled into the driveway and dropped off her bags. He thanked her and got into his own car. He pulled into the parking lot as she was walking out the door and heading for the late bus. She smelled him before she saw him and he watched her turn, finding him leaning against the car.

She smiled and walked quickly toward him.

"Wow, chauffer service."

"Well, your mom got you packed and dropped your bags of this afternoon."

"Bags?"

"You didn't think we would be living in that damned cabin did ya? I closed on the house this afternoon."

"Umm…I don't know, I hadn't thought that far ahead." He could tell she hated to admit it. She was still a little in shock at the last few days' events. He reached out and pulled her against him, his hands resting on the small of her back, and rested his head on the top of hers laying against his chest.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

She heard a noise behind her and turned. The girls were behind her; Terry's little squeak of surprise had been the noise she had heard. Their jaws were all open, and she knew she would have some explaining to do.

"Guys, this is Victor. Vic, this is Heather, Terry and Amy. George is stuck in band practice." She tried to step back from him, but he tensed his arms, demanding she stay put.

"Ladies." He said over her head.

"Umm…Kat…ummm…" Heather was stuttering.

"Does everyone need a ride, or just the Kitten here?" He asked. She wanted to kiss him. He was going to try to help.

"SURE!" They all three shouted in unison. George ran up, his trombone case bouncing against his leg. She felt Victor's tension. She let a slow, low purr rumble through her chest, and gently stroked his back with her hand.

"GEORGE…This is Victor." Terry said.

"Victor…THE Victor. OH SHIT!" George dropped the trombone and started looking for an escape route. Victor's laughter was the only thing that stopped him from bolting.

"Umm. George, it's ok…really." She said, trying to reassure her best friend.

"Mark will so kill me if I get my pretty face all messed up, so it better be." He picked up the trombone again and walked toward them.

"Get in the car, kids." He said, letting her go, and walking around the car to the driver's side. She opened the front door and sat down in the passenger seat, the other four tried to pile into the back seat, but with the trombone it just wasn't going to work. She watched as he reached down and popped the trunk.

"Kid, put the damned case in the trunk." George put the trombone case in the trunk, and they managed to find a way to get four teen agers into the backseat of the car.

They were all quiet as he pulled out of the parking space, and headed down the street.

"Okay, someone is going to have to give me directions, or I am just going to start dropping people at random locations." She laughed at him; he was trying, really trying to make her friends at least halfway comfortable.

"Vic, they are a little confused. I haven't had much time to tell anyone anything."

"What the hell have you been doing all day, Kitten?"

"Umm…SCHOOL!"

"Shit, you mean you don't spend all day gossiping with your friends, ignoring the teachers and trying to get out of homework."

"No…I would like half a chance at a good college."

"Kitten, any school you want, I told ya."

Terry squeaked again. She was going to have to do something, or Vic was going to rip her squeaker out.

She turned in the seat and looked at her four best friends.

"I am going to say this ONCE, so listen up, clean out your ears, and DON'T make me repeat it." They all looked at her and all burst out laughing. That helped.

"Victor and I got married at lunch today." The laughter went up in volume and intensity. George especially was trying hard not to hyperventilate.

"That's rich…tell us another one." Terry said.

She looked over at her new husband in the driver's seat; this wasn't going to be as easy as she had thought.

"Guys…I am NOT joking."

George was the first one to stop laughing, but he could see Victor's eyes in the rearview mirror. Terry and the others slowly stopped.

"You're serious." Heather said finally.

"Yes." She looked over at Victor. "Turn here, Vic."

Amy was the first one to be dropped off. Katherine was glad her mom wasn't home. It was bad enough having her English teacher drooling over her husband; she didn't want her friend's mom in on the act.

She guided Victor to the other's homes, and after they dropped Heather off, they headed back into town. She was going home. Her home, his home, THEIR home, she was married with a home of her own, and she had NO idea what to do about that. She didn't know if she should be excited, or scared, or what.

"So, what do you want to do about dinner?" She finally asked him.

"I don't care. It ain't dinner that's on my mind."

"Well, I kinda missed lunch…."

"Oh…"

"We can stop and pick up something, or go out. There isn't any food in the house yet, I haven't had time to get any shopping done, and I barely got the place furnished." She rolled her eyes at him. "Ok, we can eat out, pick up some basic groceries so we have breakfast in the morning and then do some serious shopping tomorrow. I need to pick up some clothes anyway."

"That's why you do laundry." She said.

"Don't get smart with me, kid." He growled.

KID - she was his wife, not a kid! She crossed her arms, glaring out the car window, refusing to look at him as he growled and snarled and tried to get her attention.

"Kitten…come on. What do you want for fucking dinner?"

"You decide, you're making all the other decisions, make that one too, while you are at it, why don't you decide what I am wearing to school tomorrow." She was pissed.

He slammed on the breaks, pulling over to the side of the road.

"WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU WANT FOR DINNER?!" He roared.

"I told you, you decide."

He threw his head back on the headrest and growled deep and low. His hands were clenched so tightly on the steering wheel that it started to bend. The anger slowly drained into fear and she wanted to be anywhere but in that car with him.

"Kitten, we have been married five fucking hours, mated less than twenty four, and we are already fighting…this isn't a good sign." He was growling still.

"FINE, if I am your FUCKING MATE, stop treating me like a fucking KID. I am not stupid, I can think things through on my own, I don't need you making all my decisions for me, and honestly you have a hard enough time making good ones for yourself."

"What the FUCK does that mean?"

"YOU decided you were going to be my mate, YOU decided how things were going to be, YOU decided where I was going to live, YOU decided how the house was going to be furnished, YOU decided when and how and where we were going to be married. I didn't get any say in ANY of it." The look of shock on his face was almost funny, but she was so angry that all she wanted to do was cry. She had never felt so helpless in her entire life.

He just kept opening and closing his mouth, trying to say something, but nothing came out. Finally…"Well SHIT!"

He put the car in gear and started driving. He didn't say a word, just drove. Finally, he pulled into the driveway of a house. Ms. Green had been right; it was the old Baymont place. He turned of the car and sat there.

She didn't know what to do. He opened his door and walked around the car, opening hers for her. She stepped out of the car and started walking toward the house. He reached out and grabbed her wrist.

"Kitten…" His voice sounded cracked, raw and she didn't know if it was anger or something else. She turned to look at him. He pulled her against his chest, his arms wrapping around her, holding her safe, secure against him. She felt his lips against the top of her head, she just stood there, bag in her hand. She didn't know what he wanted from her, what he needed from her and all she could feel at the moment was anger and fear.

He dropped his arms, letting her go, and she stepped back, turned and walked up onto the porch. She stood there by the door, waiting on him to come unlock it. He finally followed her up the steps, and opened the door. She started to cross the threshold but he reached out and stopped her, picking her up in his arms like a child and carrying her across.

He set her down on her feet on the other side, handed her the keys in his hand, and turned and walked out the door, back down the steps and to the car. It wasn't until he pulled out of the driveway that she realized he was leaving.

"VICTOR!" She screamed. She knew he heard her, she heard the car shift into drive. "Please…don't go." He pulled back into the driveway, turned off the engine, got out of the car, slammed the door, and stormed up the steps to the door.

He just looked at her, then stepped inside and closed the door behind him. He pulled her against his chest, his mouth descend on hers, his lips demanding she respond. She dropped her bag and threw her arms around his neck. He picked her up, and without a word, carried her up the stairs and into a bedroom. He laid her down on the bed, leaning over her, and then dropping his weight on top of her. Not once did he let her mouth go.

He kissed her, at first gently, and then with more heat, more demand, and she didn't even think, she just responded, allowed herself to follow his lead, allow the ache building in her gut to guide her. He was her mate and she needed him. She felt him rip the shirt off her body, his hands stroking, caressing, claws sheathed, and her body responded. His mouth followed his hands and she felt electrical tingles flowing through her body, the burning ache of her heat rising up again, demanding that he quench it. She didn't even realize he had ripped her skirt off, or his own clothing, but suddenly he was filling her, stretching her. She felt his hands running down her legs, but she didn't need his encouragement this time, she threw them around his hips, her ankles locked around him. She threw her head back, giving him her throat.

He placed a single kiss on the mark on her neck, and then worked his way back up the column of her throat, nipping and kissing and licking, until he recaptured her mouth, his teeth biting at her lower lip, his tongue demanding entrance as he started to move within her. She wanted to scream, but he swallowed every sound. She smelled blood and didn't know if it was his or hers, but the stars exploded around her, and her entire body felt as if it had exploded with them. She didn't know how long it lasted, and didn't care, but she didn't ever want it to end.

She felt him shudder on top of her, and then collapse, his weight entirely on her body. He moaned and reached between them, easing out of her and pulling the condom off and throwing it in a wastebasket by the bed. She hadn't even noticed him put it on. He rolled off of her and onto his side.

"Kitten…God, I am sorry." He whispered it, gently as he stroked her naked skin. She didn't know what he was talking about. The fight – the sex – she just didn't know.

"Victor, I don't know what you want from me." She whispered back. She could feel the tears building up, the ache almost as bad as the one in her gut had been.

"Kitten, we are both on new territory here, we are going to have to take things one day at a time. I will try to not make all your decisions, and not to treat you like a kid. I ain't making any promises though."

She smiled at him, and reached up to caress his face. "That's good enough for me." He leaned down and kissed her gently. "You know, I still haven't eaten a whole lot today…a piece of toast just isn't cutting it."

He laughed and climbed out of bed. He looked around and realized he didn't have much to put on.

"Ummm…I think I am going to have to do that shopping sooner rather than later." He said as he pulled on his jeans from yesterday. "I don't carry much in the bag." She laughed as he pulled his last shirt out, and slipped it on over his head. It had a few holes in it and looked like it had seen better days.

"I think I need to get dressed, and we need to go shopping. I don't think the mall closes until nine. We can grab dinner there." She slipped out the opposite side of the king sized bed and went looking for something to put on. She saw two bags by the door to the room and realized they were hers. She rummaged around until she found a pair of jeans and a T-shirt. They both laughed as they headed out the door, his arm around her waist.

The mall was busy, crowded, and noisy but they managed to find a quiet corner of the food court and grab something to eat. She had no idea how much money he had to spend on clothes or where he would want to start.

"So, what are we looking for?" She said as she finished off her second slice of greasy pizza.

"I need shirts, pants, jackets, ties…ok maybe not ties, I don't think I will need them anytime soon."

"So how much do you want to spend?"

"I don't know, a couple thou…I usually have my stuff hand made and tailored."

She laughed. Not in this town he wouldn't; she decided they would start at the higher end department stores and work their way to some of the boutiques. They only had a couple hours to get him something to get by for a few days until she could get their laundry done.

He shopped like a pro, criticizing everything, unable to choose unless he looked at every possibility, they managed two outfits from the first store, only one from the second, and he nearly gutted the clerk in the third. Three new outfits would do him she decided.

"Let's go home, Victor, its eight o'clock and I need to get started on some homework."

"You have all weekend to do homework."

"I know but I prefer to get it done and out of the way." He growled.

They were passing by the Prom dress display at a boutique in the mall, and she stopped to look at them. She wasn't going to get to go, now, but she just wanted to look, just for a moment.

"Shit, Kitten, if you want a fancy party dress, we can fly to New York or L.A. and buy you a good one. Better yet, I know someone who does design work for fun and would love to make you one."

"There's no need. I know that Prom is out of the question." She had been planning on going, they all had. The plan was to go together, have George to dance with if they wanted to dance, but now that would all change.

"Prom, what the hell is that?"

"Never mind, Victor."

"Yeah, I am going to mind, it's important to you."

"It's just a dance at the end of the year, everyone usually goes, you get all dressed up and try your best not to piss off the chaperones…too much." She laughed a little at her own description.

"Well, then, by God, we are going."

"What?"

"If it is something for school, and you want to go, we will go." Was her husband offering to be her date to the PROM?

"YOU are going to take me to the Prom? You nearly gutted the sales clerk for criticizing your taste, and you expect me to let you take me to the Prom. It's going to be bad enough that I get to watch George, Amy, Terry and Heather go, don't make me go sit on the sidelines and watch all the fun."

They were walking out the door of the mall, the car parked not far in front of them.

"Who said anything about sitting on the sidelines? I have you know I DO know how to dance."

"I'll believe that when I see it." She muttered under her breath. He growled at her, and she knew she was in trouble when they got home.


	4. Chapter 4

Kittens Have Claws, Too.

Sabretooth has found his mate. Does he have the patience to wait for her?

Thanks again to my Co Author and Beta…Lady Mage

Talhmorra: For the purposes of this story, and my own personal theory, yes Female ferals are only in estrus once every ten years, otherwise, 1. It wouldn't be dangerous for them to breed, and 2. The mutant universe would be hip deep in ferals if they were able to breed at any time, with their sex drive.

Erisah Mae Prom will be a major event :) trust me...As for her friends...well they let her know how they feel in this chapter...

Kari Lynne Craine - GRIN...Cyc bashing is my second favorite hobby.

Chapter 4

"Who said anything about sitting on the sidelines? I have you know I DO know how to dance."

"I'll believe that when I see it." She muttered under her breath. He growled at her, and she knew she was in trouble when they got home.

She opened the passenger door of the car and climbed in. He opened the driver's door and threw the bags in the back seat and climbed behind the wheel. He glared at her, and started the car. He didn't say a word, just pulled out of the parking space, and out of the parking lot. He turned quietly into traffic.

"I can dance."

"I am sure you can Victor."

He didn't say another word; he turned into a grocery store parking lot and parked near the door. He opened the door and stepped out of the car.

"You coming in?"

She opened her door and followed him into the store. He started down the produce aisle, and she decided a basket might be a good idea. She grabbed one and started following him. He didn't even look, just started grabbing things and throwing them in the basket. At the meat counter he drove the night butcher crazy, demanding specific cuts of meat, and not accepting what the man cut. Finally he just growled and took the meat the poor man had cut.

"Next time, I'll just order a side of beef and butcher it myself." He grumbled. She laughed.

By the time they reached the register the basket was full, and she cringed at the price tag for their little shopping spree. At least there were eggs and bacon for breakfast in the morning, something she knew how to cook.

The back seat of the car was full, and they drove back to the house. Victor handed her the house key again, and this time she went and opened the door. There was no screen on the front, so she left it open while he unloaded the bags. She went into the kitchen and looked around.

The kitchen was fully furnished. The large side by side refrigerator was empty but she was beginning to wonder if it was going to be big enough for everything they had bought. There was a dishwasher, which was a treat for her; they washed dishes by hand at her parents' house. There was a large coffee pot, a full range, with oven, and a table and chairs in the middle of the large country kitchen.

She looked at the pile of bags on the table as it grew larger and larger.

"Victor, where do you want everything?" She finally asked him.

"I don't give a shit; let's just get it put away."

She started putting away the things that needed to be frozen or refrigerated, canned goods and dried goods she would deal with later.

They worked side by side, and before long, the table was clear, and a two of the plastic bags were full of all the others. He put them under the sink.

"Kitten, grab me a beer would ya."

"Umm…no…hello, under twenty one, I don't even get my Dad a beer."

He glared at her. She just looked at him, willing him to understand.

"Fine." He walked to the refrigerator and opened it. He grabbed a bottle of beer and walked into the living room.

She followed him, and sat down in one of the obviously brand new chairs.

"We need to work some things out, Kitten." He said finally, after taking a long swig of his beer. "The ONLY thing I want you to worry about is school, okay. Housework, shit, I'll hire a maid if I have to, but don't worry about it."

"Victor, I have to ask, can you afford all of this?" She knew he and her dad had made quite a bit of money years ago, but even her parents lived on a budget.

"Yes, Kitten. Money ain't anything you need to worry about. Anything you want is covered."

"You are damned lucky I am not Terry then, she could bankrupt a millionaire." She remembered Home Economics last year, they had to budget a household all year long, and the teacher had thrown all kinds of expenses at them, and made them try to pay for them. She had done fine, but poor Terry had been a miserable failure at budgeting.

Victor grinned at her.

"Kitten, there's things you need to know. I may have to take off sometimes, I am planning on waiting until you are eighteen and I can put things in your name without dealing with all the damned legal shit, but I may take some jobs every now and then, just to keep my hand in the game. If I am gone more than two weeks, without calling you or your parents, I want you to go to them, and stay there until I come back."

"Victor..."

"Don't argue, Kitten. You know the kind of work I do; you have heard me and your dad discuss it. I know you will be safe there, and I won't have to worry about you if I get in trouble."

She nodded at him.

"There's a couple people who may come looking for me. If a woman named Raven, or she may call herself Mystique, calls or comes by, she's okay, a friend, well sorta. Mortimer, he may call himself Toad, if he calls, it's ok, but if he comes by, get the hell out of the house unless I am here, I don't want you alone with him. Erik you can trust, he's kinda out of the picture at the moment, but I don't expect him to stay locked up for long." He took another long swig on his beer.

"If ANYONE shows up in black leather uniforms with a big X on the front, you don't know me, and if one of them has black hair, with two weird spikes, and a bad attitude, get the fuck out and don't look back."

She tried to stifle the yawn. It had been a very long day, a very long week and all she wanted to do right now was curl up in bed and get some sleep.

"Kitten, you're tired." He stood up, and carried his empty bottle to the kitchen. She stood up and started up the stairs. He was right behind her, and picked her up, carrying her up the stairs and into the bedroom. He pushed the suitcase she had left on the bed onto the floor and set her down on the bed. He looked around the room and found the bag of bedding he had bought for the bed.

"You want to help me get this thing cleaned up and the bed made." She looked at the mattress. The vinyl mattress cover had dried blood on it. She went into the bathroom and looked for a rag or towel she could get wet and wipe it down. She hadn't even noticed the plastic on the bed earlier. She blushed, her face feeling hot. She took the damp rag out to the room and wiped the blood off the cover.

The sheets he pulled out were red, at least they wouldn't show stains as badly. She helped get the bed made, pillow cases on the new pillows, the comforter thrown over the bed, and Victor put the matching curtains on top of one of the two dressers in the room.

"We'll get those hung tomorrow." He said. She yawned again. "Kitten, get ready for bed, I'll be in later."

He left the room and she opened the suitcase again. She looked around the room; there were two dressers, two chests, a dressing table, a valet, an armoire, and the large king sized bed. She decided to use the dresser near the dressing table, and started to put her clothing away. Her clothes didn't even fill two drawers in the huge dresser. She left a night shirt out and went into the bathroom. She turned on the water and started a shower. She cleaned up quickly and dried off with one of the new towels, the price tag still on it.

She pulled the night shirt over her head in the bedroom and climbed into the huge bed. She felt lost in it, and slowly fear began to overwhelm her. Where was he?

She was facing away from the door, but heard him open it. He dropped the bags from the mall next to his dresser, and she heard him strip out of his clothes.

"Kitten, I hope you don't mind, but I don't LIKE to sleep in clothes. If you prefer I will wear my sweats, but…"

She giggled. "Whatever, Vic."

She felt his side of the bed dip, and then he was there, along her back. He reached one arm around her waist and nestled his head on top of hers on the pillow.

"Get some sleep, Kitten." He whispered, and started that low purr in his chest. She was asleep in no time.

She woke to a strange sensation, she was lying on her back, and something large and heavy was holding her down. She felt a soft brush along her cheek, and then another and she opened her eyes and looked directly into his. He didn't say a word, just leaned down and kissed her, and she just sighed against his lips and kissed him back.

She didn't realize she was naked until she felt his hand brush down her side, from shoulder to hip. She started for just a moment, and then forgot what had startled her as his hands and mouth distracted her. She moaned and ran her hands through his hair as he nipped along her collarbone and then worked his way down.

"Good morning to you, too." He said with a chuckle. She smiled at him, and suddenly it hit her. She was married to him. She was SLEEPING with him, it wasn't just sex, and it was every day for the rest of her life. She felt a sudden surge of panic.

"WHOA! Kitten what's wrong?"

"We're married."

"Yeah…"

"We are MARRIED!"

"I was there." She wanted to slap that look off his face. He was grinning like the damned Cheshire cat.

"Victor, I am SEVENTEEN! I am MARRIED! This wasn't supposed to happen yet."

"Well, hell, Kitten, don't you want to be married…or don't you want to be married to me?" He was getting angry.

"It's not that…I just don't know HOW to be MARRIED!"

"Well, I don't think it is that hard."

"Victor, I am not used to having someone in bed with me, it's a little weird."

"Well I am NOT sleeping in the guest room."

"That's not what I am saying…I just…I don't know…it isn't uncomfortable, it isn't something I don't want to do, it's just weird."

"Is it something you can get used to, at least?"

She grinned up at him. "Yes, I can definitely get used to it."

"So what else is bothering you, we might as well get it all out now?"

"Well, I am not used to sharing a bathroom, that's going to be strange at first, I have NO clue about what being a wife is all about, I mean I have seen my mom do it for years, but I still don't know how she does it. And I am hopeless with housework."

"Kitten, I ain't used to sharing ANYTHING! This is weird for me too, ok. SHIT! You act like I have all the answers in this. This is new for me too."

"Umm…Mom said you are like over a century old…you've NEVER been married before?"

"No, Kitten, hell I've never LIVED with anyone before. You are my mate, but Baby, I am scared as hell about this, and if you EVER tell anyone I said that I will kill you." He gave her a mock growl.

"Hrmm…blackmail material…got it." She grinned back at him. He gave his forehead a slap and grinned at her.

"God help me." He leaned down and kissed her again. "Can we forget talking for a while, I can smell you, and it is driving me crazy and I really would like to actually make love to you, not just…rut?" she watched him grasping for the word.

"You mean there is a difference?" She was serious.

"Baby, there is a HUGE difference." He grinned at her, and stroked her cheek with the back of one finger. He kissed her again, tracing her lips with his tongue, not demanding entrance, just caressing. She felt the burn beginning, but it was slow, without the prior urgency. She reached up, to tangle her fingers in his hair, but he gripped her wrists, pushing them gently to the bed.

"I am making love to you…and I am going to need every ounce of control, so no claws, no fangs, and only…soft…touches…allowed." He let go of her hands, and punctuated the last with soft kisses down the column of her throat, finishing with a gentle kiss in the V of her collarbones. She wanted his hair in her hands, not to pull, but to let run through her fingers. Gently she stroked his hair as he worked his way down her body; she just threw her head back, allowing the sensations to overwhelm her.

His hair was like a third hand, softly caressing as he moved down her body, it's waves creating goosebumps on her skin that his mouth and hands smoothed away. Her body almost came off the bed when he brushed one nipple with the back of a knuckle. She moaned when he backed off, that one simple brush had ignited the fire in her gut. He kissed her gently and stroked her body, her stomach, hips, thighs, and arms but left the more sensitive areas alone. She wanted to scream in frustration. What was he doing to her? Was this some form of torture? She felt one hand gently stroking up the inside of her thigh, easing her legs apart as he settled his weight on top of her. She could feel him, throbbing against her, but he just kept touching her, kissing her, driving her insane.

Finally when she thought she couldn't stand it another second he lifted himself off of her and slipped on a condom before sheathing himself inside her. She moaned as she felt him, his heat inside her fueling the flames of her own burning need.

"Victor." She moaned his name as he captured her mouth again. He started to move slowly inside her, and she felt that wonderful sensation building again. She knew the flames building inside her were going to consume her again, and she would come out the other side, purified, and the ache would be gone. She felt her body reach that point, but he wouldn't let her go through. He pulled her back, building the fire higher, pushing her again to that point, and pulling her back, until finally he couldn't stop her and she felt like every cell in her body ignited.

When she was able to think again he was grinning down, still buried hilt deep inside her.

"So you tell me, is there a difference?" He leaned down and kissed her again.

"Oh yeah…big difference…can we do that again?"

"What make love…? Anytime, Kitten, anytime." He shifted his hips and she moaned again, the ache and burn starting to build again.

"Now would be good…that whole explosion thing is great." She grinned.

"Explosion? Ohh…you mean orgasm." He grinned at her, shifting his hips again, causing her to moan against his mouth. "I think we can manage that."

He built her to another explosion, and this time she heard him roar over her, his own release coming with hers. He collapsed on top of her, grinning.

"Damn, Kitten, I needed that." He slipped out of her and threw the condom in the waste basket. He rolled onto his back, a ray of light from the rising sun highlighting the fine golden fur that covered his body. She noticed the scar on his chest.

"Did I do that?" She said, rolling onto her side, tracing the bite mark with her finger.

"Damn yes. You did that, and you keep touching me like that and you are going to be doing something else."

"I thought it took a few minutes to recover from that, at least, that's what my health class said."

He chuckled, "Kitten, I have a healing factor, I recover very quickly."

"Oh..." she looked up and down his prone form. Suddenly she realized, she could touch him, like she had always wanted to. She reached out and gently touched his face. He looked over at her, and gave her a small smile.

"Does the Kitten want to play?" She laughed at the hopeful look on his face. He wanted her to touch him, to do to him what he had just done to her. She reached out and stroked his cheek again. She kissed him gently, leaning down and capturing his mouth with hers. He reached out and pulled her on top of him, and she straddled his waist. She sat up, and looked down at him. She could feel him under her, throbbing. She ran her hands over his chest, his soft down tickling her palms. She leaned down, kissing him and he lay there, letting her explore. He purred as she stroked his body with her hands, and then slowly followed with her mouth. She kissed the scar on his chest, sitting up, and rubbing her hips against him, the ache in her gut building again. His arms reached up, tracing up her sides with the backs of his hands. She lifted up, and she felt his intake of breath.

"Not yet, Kitten, please. Let me take care of something first."

He reached for the table next to the bed and grabbed a foil wrapper. He ripped it open with his teeth and reached between them, slipping the latex over him, and then guiding her so that he slipped easily inside. He gripped her hips, helping her set a rhythm as she sat on top of him. Her body was about to explode again, and the feel of his hands on her legs as she moved on top of him was driving her higher. Suddenly he rolled over, taking her under him, and she wrapped her legs around his hips. The look on his face was intense, fierce, as he set his own rhythm, he knew exactly how to bring her to her peak, and she let go, let her body explode again, his roar following her, as he reached his own.

They lay there for a second, and he pulled back, dumping the condom in the basket again.

"Damn, Kitten, I am going to have to pick up some more of those…this damned cycle can last three to five days." The sun was well up and he sat up and looked out the window.

"So what are we planning to do today?" She asked, watching him look out the window.

"I need to look at trimming back some of those tree branches before they rip a hole in the roof. I need to get the computer hooked up, and call a couple places and order some of my good clothes." She laughed when his stomach rumbled, interrupting him. "And breakfast might not be a bad idea."

"If you get me your dirty stuff, I can get some laundry done. I have some of my own to do, my stuff from last night anyway, since you shredded my outfit from school yesterday." She gave him a mock glare as she climbed out of bed and started gathering things up. He grabbed his pack and dug out the laundry he had in there and piled it on the bed.

She gathered everything up and started for the door.

"I don't mind, but we don't have curtains up yet, Kitten, you might want to get some clothes on…" He grinned, lying back on the bed watching her move around the room. She glared at him again and went looking for clothes.

She grabbed her night shirt from the floor and slipped it on over her head. It fell just to her thighs. "That good enough."

"Hell, no, I like ya naked." He gave her a fang filled grin.

"You are just a dirty old man." She grinned back at him.

"DIRTY! I took a shower last week."

She glared at him and went out the door and down the stairs, laundry in her arms. The new washer and dryer were in a small room outside the kitchen. She sorted the laundry and started a load. She heard him in the kitchen; he was wearing a pair of cut off sweatpants, cut short, barely covering him decently. He was at the stove, frying bacon.

"Hey don't overcook that…I like mine a little underdone." He grinned over at her, and pulled the bacon out of the skillet.

"How do you like your eggs?"

"Over easy or sunny side up, I prefer to cook mine myself though." She said.

"Okay, I'll get mine done and get out of the way." He cracked three eggs into the skillet full of bacon grease and let them cook. A sudden knock at the door startled both of them. He handed her the spatula and walked to the front door.

"Hi, my name is Madelyn Green. I live down the street. I saw you here the other day and when the sign went down I thought I would come and say welcome to the neighborhood."

She couldn't believe it, her English Teacher. She walked to the kitchen door, and had to swallow a laugh. On the back of his shorts, stuck to the seam, was a condom wrapper from earlier. She didn't know what to do. If she stepped out of the kitchen, Ms. Green would see her; if he turned around she was going to see that. Hell, Ms. Green would know by Monday anyway, so she decided to brave the scene.

"Thank you." She could hear him as she went back to the stove and dumped his eggs on a plate.

"Victor, your eggs are ready." She said, spatula in hand as she stepped into the entry. Ms. Green's jaw dropped. Katherine almost laughed at her teacher, but felt a little sorry for her. She certainly understood drooling over Vic.

"KATHERINE!!!" Ms. Green caught herself before it reached the level of a full scream.

"Hi, Ms. Green, Vic this is my English teacher."

"Oh, hi…Kitten want me to cook your eggs while you talk to your teacher." He turned around to ask her, and she watched Ms. Green's eyes grow HUGE.

"Sure, Baby. Over easy please…"

"Katherine Stephens, I need to talk to you NOW!" Ms. Green had gone all teacher on her.

"It's Katherine Creed, now. Victor and I got married yesterday."

"Victor…Victor Creed? From your report?" She had written a report earlier this semester about what she wanted to do when she grew up, and part of the report had been about her personal life. She had written that her parents had a very good friend that she would like to get to know a whole lot better. Well…she could say that she was working on THAT particular life goal.

"Yes, from my report. It's a long story, one I really don't feel like explaining at the moment, but my parents signed for us to get married, and yesterday at lunch we did."

"He isn't…he's a whole lot older than you are, Katherine. Are you sure this is wise. You have your whole life ahead of you. What about college? What about your other ambitions?" Ms. Green was standing in the entry way. Katherine heard Victor snort in the kitchen.

"Well, Victor can and has said he will pay for whatever college I want, and I am still working on that scholarship. He bought the house so I wouldn't have to get up as early for school and was so cute" she heard him growl at that word "at the mall, he even asked me to the Prom."

She really wanted to claw the woman's eyes out, but she knew she had to deal with her for the rest of the semester. If Katherine EVER saw her look at her MATE like he was the most expensive item on the menu again, she WOULD claw the woman's eyes out.

"Katherine, what's wrong with your eyes?" Ms. Green asked.

"Kitten, your eggs are ready." Victor said from the door to the kitchen. "I hate to run you off, Ms. Green but my wife needs to eat something this morning." He stepped out and escorted the woman to the front door, politely easing her out and closing the door. Katherine doubled over in laughter…the condom wrapper was still on his ass.

She walked over and pulled it off, showing it to him. Even he had the grace to blush. They both laughed and walked into the kitchen and sat down to eat breakfast. They laughed every time they caught each other's eyes.

He took her plate when she finished, scraped and rinsed and put it in the dishwasher. His was already in it. She went and put the laundry in the dryer and started the second load. He was standing at the door to the small laundry room.

"So do we what to get some shopping done today, or work on the house?"

"Well, I think we need to do some shopping FOR the house…CURTAINS for starters." She grinned at him.

"Why don't you go get cleaned up and dressed, I need to make some calls, and then we can get some shopping done, maybe look at that party dress?" He grinned at her.

She ran up the stairs, and dug out a clean pair of jeans and T-shirt. She WAS getting tired of wearing the same thing every day; maybe she could talk him into a couple new outfits for her, too. She jumped in the shower, rinsing out her hair before jumping out and grabbing her toothbrush. She heard a sound in the bedroom; he was lying on the bed, watching her bend over the sink. He had taken off the shorts, and was as naked as she was. She had a feeling shopping was going to have to wait.

"Did you get your calls done?"

"Yeah…most of my wardrobe will be here by the end of next week. They have to recreate some of it. The Scottish wool suits will take the longest, Harrods was out of the grey I like and will have to order it."

HARRODS! Even she had heard of Harrods of London. She just shook her head. He ordered directly from Harrods.

He crooked a finger at her, and she grinned. Who gave a damned about what he wore, right now he was just the way she was really learning to like him…naked and all hers.

They finally managed to get dressed, after finishing off the box of condoms. If they hadn't run out they might not have left the house all day.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

He watched her sitting next to him in the car. They had spent most of the day in bed. He had been a little worried when her eyes had changed with her teacher. He wasn't entirely sure what set her off, why she had wanted to hurt her teacher, but he would get to the bottom of it later.

They went first to a home store and ordered curtains. They would be delivered and installed Tuesday. That solved one problem. They went back to the mall, and he managed to go ahead and pick up another couple outfits, and insisted on getting the Kitten enough clothes so that she could actually dress up if she wanted too. He planned on getting her through school, and then take her to New York or Milan and get her properly outfitted.

They went to a restaurant for lunch, and her friend George was there with his parents.

"Kat…Victor." He waved at them. His parents invited them to the table, but he declined.

They did sit nearby, and George ended up at their table.

"Kat, my mom and dad FREAKED when I told them you got married. They called your DAD and gave him hell."

"George…why did you say anything?"

What, she didn't want anyone to know they were married?

"Of course…my best friend gets married, I mean, SHIT! I thought I was going to be your maid of honor…anyway." George gave him a strange look, and Victor smelled a surge of arousal…SHIT!

"So how are things with Mr. Leo there…grrrrrrrrr." She giggled at his silly antics.

"Kitten, I am going to step outside and smoke a cigar. Be right back." He needed to get away from the flaming kid. He knew that George was her best friend, but this was going to get very uncomfortable very quickly. He watched the two teens laugh at the table, George's parents glaring at him smoking from their table. He couldn't hear what the kids were saying, but he was just enjoying watching her laugh. He was able to relax, now, she was his, just enjoy the moments.

He stubbed out the cigar, saving the rest for later, and went back inside. The kids were laughing about something at school, and he just sat and listened. Their lunch arrived and they ate quietly, George left when his parents did.

"So what did you and the drag queen talk about?"

"VICTOR!" She glared at him. He could smell her anger.

"Sorry, Kitten, he's just a little to…open for me. I know he's your friend and I don't have any problem putting up with him. I'll try not to make fun of him."

"George has stuck by me when other friends didn't. He knows all about my mutation, about you, or how I feel about you, anyway, and doesn't deserve that. He was there the first time I lost it at school, and my claws came out. He protected me, kept people from teasing me about being a mutant, I half think he came out of the closet just to give people something else to talk about."

Damn, the Kitten was actually making him feel bad for making fun of the kid. "Kitten, ok, just…well…he's….ummm…"

"Got a little bit of a crush on the new guy in town…he also is in a fairly committed relationship and wouldn't consider cheating. Shit, Vic, I could smell it too. Besides he knows you are taken, and I will claw the shit out of him if he touches you." They both laughed at that, and finished their lunch.

They were in the car when he asked her about the other three. "If I am going to be putting up with them I need to know a little about them."

"Well, Amy's parents are divorced, her mom dates, a lot. She tries to make light of it, but well, it bugs her, especially when her mom brings boyfriends home. She is working on trying to get a scholarship to a school out of state so she can get away from it. Heather is quiet, but can be a total goose. She is the one who usually comes up with stuff for us to do that's fun and well, a little risky, but not too bad. Terry's dad is rich and he buys her whatever she wants, it drives her mom and stepdad nuts. She's a little spoiled but she is also the one who told off the principal when they were going to not let me go to school because I was a mutant. Told him he would have to kick her and half the school out, set up a whole support rally and everything. She seems shallow sometimes, but she really isn't."

He was a little surprised. His Kitten had people she trusted, and cared about, something he didn't have…and then he thought about it. Dave, Diane, Al, Greg, Erik, Raven, Mortimer…maybe he did. They would be there, take care of her if anything happened to him, and that was something he needed.

He almost forgot, and pulled into the drug store parking lot at the last moment.

"Wait here, Kitten, I'll be right back."

He walked into the store and down the aisles until he found what he was looking for. He grabbed several boxes, just to be on the safe side. He didn't want to have to come back before her cycle was over.

He dropped the boxes on the counter, and the clerk gave him a strange look.

"Planning a big night?" The kid said, trying not to laugh.

"I'm on my honeymoon." He growled at the kid.

He grinned at Victor. "In that case, have fun."

Victor just paid him and went out the door.

He opened the door and tossed her the plastic bag. "That should get us through…for a while." He laughed at her blush. He sometimes forgot just how young she was.

They pulled into the driveway of the house; on the porch were the four teenagers. He groaned, so much for a quiet afternoon.

"Ok, Mister…" Amy started in. Kitten ran up to the porch and grabbed her arm.

"Let's go into the living room, guys." She pulled Amy with her through the front door while Victor unloaded the bags. He had to smile at the way she took charge.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Guys, what are you DOING here?" Her four friends were draped around the living room.

"Well for starters we wanted to make sure he wasn't hurting you. I mean shit, MARRIED. I didn't believe it at first, I had mom call her friend that works at the courthouse and she confirmed it, so I called Heather and Terry. We picked up George here at his parents' house. He told us about lunch." Amy was livid.

"God, Amy, did you bother asking ME how I felt about this." Katherine was irritated.

"Shit, Kat, we all know how you feel about 'Uncle' Vic." She even used her fingers in quotation marks around uncle.

"You know what…QUIT calling him THAT." She screamed at Amy. "You don't know SHIT about anything. You don't know what I have been through the last week. YOU don't know what I have been through the last seventeen YEARS."

Amy backed off. "Kat, don't get the claws out, we are just worried about YOU. Fuck him, fuck everything else. I want to know you are happy, that he didn't FORCE you into anything, and that he ISN'T forcing you to do anything you don't want to do." Katherine could smell the fear in her friend and began to understand.

"Kat, please, Amy is just worried." Heather said quietly. Always the peacemaker, she hated when her friends fought.

"I know, Heather. I just don't need you guys trying to tell me what to do when you don't KNOW what is going on." She was pissed.

"Kat, I tried to tell them how happy you were at lunch, how much he seemed to, well, hell I guess worship is the right word…" George was lounging on the couch.

"You know, we might KNOW what was going on if you TALKED to us instead of leaving us out of the fucking LOOP!" Amy snapped at her.

"Kids, I'm ordering pizza, any preferences?" Victor stuck his head in the door. She didn't know how much he had heard running back and forth from the car, but she was grateful he was letting her deal with this, without going all 'adult' on them.

"All meat for me, Baby." She said.

"No shit, Kitten, I was asking the ones who actually might EAT vegetables." He growled at her.

"We will eat supreme…" George was trying so hard not to drool over her husband, she had to laugh. She threw one of the brand new accent pillows at him to distract him from watching her husband's ass as he walked into the kitchen to order pizza.

Amy was still red faced, and angry. She knew she was going to have to calm her down, and also knew she needed to talk to her alone.

"Terry, would you take George and Heather out to look at the pool. Vic is trying to decide what we need to do to get it ready for this summer and I figure you guys will be hanging out here so you get some input." She grinned at the other three, willing them to take the HUGE hint.

George glared at her for interrupting his contemplation of Victor's ass, but stood up and went with Heather and Terry to look at the back yard.

"Amy, no one is forcing me to do anything. I have loved Vic since I was a baby, literally. This whole thing was going to happen sometime. HE is my MATE. It's a biology thing, but more than that, he's the man I love. I can't imagine being with anyone else, really."

Amy seemed to calm down a little at that. "I just know how bad it can be when someone is forced into something they don't want to do." She said stiffly. Kat could smell her fear, hear her racing heartbeat. She was in the throes of a panic attack, and Kat needed to get to the bottom of it. She could hear Victor trying NOT to bang things around in the kitchen. He could smell it too.

"Amy…I am happy, and I want you to be happy for me." Her friend looked at her, and suddenly tears fell down her face. Katherine walked up to her and put her arms around her. She hoped she would open up, would tell her what was wrong.

"I was afraid he was like one of mom's old boyfriends, he was constantly trying to get me in bed with them. Mom broke up with him when she realized he wasn't joking, but it still scared the hell out of me. I KNOW he is a friend of your dad, and I just wanted to make sure you weren't doing this because your dad or mom made you."

"Damn, Amy, we had no idea anything like that was going on. SHIT, next time tell me, I'll sic Vic on him." Amy laughed at that, and the object of their conversation stuck his tawny head in the door again.

"And if ya don't want to tell her, TELL me, I'll fucking gut the bastard."

"Oh, yea…ummm his ears are about as sensitive as mine…" She blushed.

"I remember you telling us that…" Amy laughed again. "Let's go check out the pool."

The two girls went out to join their friends in the back yard, and they spent the afternoon planning what to do with the old pool. It was almost a half Olympic size pool, with a pool house and hot tub at one end. Victor came out after the pizza arrived and they ate and laughed and all four of her friends relaxed and accepted Victor as a part of the group.

Victor wanted to put in a Roman style colonnade with a retractable cover that could be put down in winter so the pool could be used year round. He had plans for a heater, and even authentic Roman statuary to decorate the back yard. Katherine was awed by the total extravagance of the plan. Terry was all for it, and kept coming up with more and more expensive ideas, and Kat was beginning to get scared.

Victor himself started laughing at some of her more extravagant ideas, which made Kat feel better, until he started in with his own, and even Terry was impressed. When he started talking about having the entire pool done with authentic mosaic tiles from Pompeii, even Terry knew the project was getting out of hand.

"DAMN! I thought I had expensive taste…Victor you cut the cake." He just grinned, something that made Katherine afraid, very afraid.

The kids took off around dusk, and she and Victor cleaned up the back yard. They dumped the pizza boxes, soda cans, and trash. She was standing at the kitchen window, feeling a little lost. He came up behind her and slipped his arms around her waist.

"Kitten, it's going to work out, I promise." She trusted him, she always had. She just wasn't prepared for all of this.

"Victor, I'm going to go get a bath, soak a while." She said quietly.

He let her go, and she walked up the stairs to the second floor. She went into the bathroom and started the water in the tub. A good hot soak might help her relax. Amy's revelation today had been surprising. She usually talked about everything, but to find out she had hidden something so important from her friends was upsetting.

Katherine climbed into the tub and leaned against the sloped back. She could hear Victor moving around in the house, and it was a comforting sound. She let the hot water swirl around her until the tub was almost overflowing and then turned the faucets off with her toes. She leaned her head back on the edge of the tub and closed her eyes, letting her body relax in the heat.

XXXXXXXXXXX

He could hear her in the bathroom upstairs. This evening had been much easier than he had expected. Watching her with her friends, she was more than just his Kitten, she was Katherine, and he was beginning to like that part of her very much. Always in his mind he had gotten to this point, to her being his mate and then stopped, simply because he had no idea where to go from there. He was finding it wasn't as simple as he had imagined, nor as complicated as he had feared.

He straightened up the kitchen and then grabbed a beer from the refrigerator. He sat down in the living room, and turned on the television.

"…And in national news – The trial for Mutant Terrorist Erik Lensherr, also known as Magneto began today. At his arraignment, Mr. Lensherr pled Not Guilty to all three hundred charges of attempted murder, five charges of vandalizing government property, and eighteen counts of first degree murder. The eighteen killed were the security personnel for the UN Summit on Ellis Island and Liberty Island. To date none of Mr. Lensherr's accomplices have been apprehended. Two, Mortimer Toynbee, also known as Toad, and Victor Creed, also known as Sabretooth are presumed dead. The whereabouts of Raven Darkholm also known as Mystique are still unknown."

"Presumed dead my ass." He grumbled. If it wasn't for the Kitten he would show them just how DEAD he really was. It wouldn't hurt him to lay low; he wasn't looking anything like the picture they showed. Clean shaven, hair pulled back, and wearing civilian clothes instead of his hunting leathers no one would suspect him of being THAT Victor Creed.

He turned off the television and headed up the stairs. His Kitten had been soaking long enough…and he had other plans for the rest of the night.

She was still in the tub, the water cooling around her. Her eyes were closed, and a soft snore came from her as he stepped into the bathroom. He reached down and pulled the plug, and she woke with a start.

"Have a nice nap?" He grinned at her. He watched as the water slowly drained, her body shivering in the cool air. He bent down and picked her up out of the tub, soaking his shirt as he grinned at her.

"Victor, put me down." She squirmed in his arms.

"Now why would I want to do that? It seems I have you right where I want you…." He carried her out to the big bed and lay her down in the middle. "Naked, wet, and in bed."

She blushed, and turned her eyes away as he started to take his own clothes off.

"Kitten, you are going to have to get used to me." He said softly.

"I'm just not used to…well having…YOU in the room." She blushed again. His shirt was on the floor and he almost laughed as she snuck a peek. He waited until he knew she was looking before unfastening his jeans, and starting to slip them down his hips. She blushed even more, and buried her head in the pillow. He just chuckled, slipped off his jeans and slipped onto the bed with her.

He stroked her arm, watching as goosebumps rose up behind his fingers. He leaned down and blew his warm breath behind his hand before gently kissing the inside of her elbow. He heard her sigh, and worked his way down to her wrist, before kissing the palm of her hand and gently licking her fingers. She finally turned and looked at him, her eyes almost glowing with passion and need. This wasn't heat…that scent was faint, in the background, this was regular need, what he would have the rest of his life, and he liked this scent.

He took his time, enjoying each caress, each taste, and each scent. She was his mate, and he wanted to memorize her. He cajoled and asked and she finally turned to him, allowing him to kiss her, to trace her features with his lips. This was how it should be, quiet evenings with your mate, no worries, no hurries. He enjoyed the hard raw passion, it satisfied something deep in his animal side, but this satisfied something deep in his human side, something that he hadn't even noticed, until now.

Her soft skin, soft sighs, and sweet touches roused him to a fever pitch in no time, but he held back, driving her to join him. Finally when her sighs turned to moans and her soft caress became demanding he found a wrapper, and with a few adjustments eased himself into her. She felt so good under him, her body completely sheathing him. He felt her building and pushed her until she reached her 'explosion' as she called it. Her shudders under him brought his own climax and, after getting rid of the damned latex, they curled up together and drifted off to sleep.

Sunday morning was lazy; he let her sleep, slipping out of bed quietly. He cooked her breakfast, and they spent the morning in bed, finally stirring when she remembered she had homework to do before school the next morning. He had set up a study down stairs with two desks one for her and one for him. While she worked, he took care of several things he needed to do.

"Kitten, I almost forgot. I picked this up at the bank Friday." He handed her an ATM card.

"What's this?"

"Your card for our account, I wrote the pin number on a sticky note on the back until you memorize it."

"Okay?" He could tell she was puzzled.

"If you need anything, just pull what you need."

"Do I have a limit, an allowance?"

"No, Kitten, I trust you."

She slipped the card into the small purse she carried for school.

"I have something else, I'll be right back." He left the room and climbed the stairs. I the master suite, he found his bag and dug down to the very bottom. The small boxes were still there, and he took all three of them down to the study.

"I had these made for you, I was going to give them to you on your birthday, but wedding present is just as good." He grinned at her. He couldn't wait to see his Kitten adorned with the charming little cats he had designed.

The pendant was champaign diamonds, almost the color of his hair and perfectly matched. The matching earrings were chocolate diamonds, to match her curly brown tresses and the bracelet had the kittens as links alternating with the clasp a large cat, striped yellow and brown. All were set in platinum for durability.

She smiled at him, pulled each piece out and examined it, and then put them back in the boxes. "I'll wear them tomorrow, I don't want to take off my locket."

He smiled at that. He had noticed it, but not said anything. "Is that the same locket I gave you when you were five?"

She blushed. "Yes"

He lifted the locket to his lips and then kissed her.

"My Kitten." He whispered against her lips.

The rest of the afternoon and evening was quiet. Her parents and brother came over for a while, but left the couple alone after a short visit. He insisted she go to bed early. It was after she had settled down that he realized she hadn't spent a single night sitting on the roof. He smiled as he held her sleeping form. She was more relaxed, not in a state of perpetual waiting any more. He hoped it was because of him. He closed his eyes. Tomorrow was going to be rough for her.


	5. Chapter 5

Kittens Have Claws, Too.

Sabretooth has found his mate. Does he have the patience to wait for her?

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**

Thanks again to my Co Author and Beta…Lady Mage

Contorce and Tankerslady – thank you for the reviews…Contorce – the X men WILL show up eventually and we have not seen the last of Megan either.

Erisah Mae – Thank you … I am glad you liked how the friends worked out…I wanted them to kind of work behind her and then have the confrontation at the house…I am glad it worked.

Kari Lynn Craine - honestly I am not entirely certain...I woke up with it one morning...

The idea of the female ferals had been bouncing around in my head for a while...I wondered why if it was the most common mutation why there weren't more women...so my very busy brain tried to come up with an answer...the only thing I could come up with was that they were somehow endangered by their very mutation, so I thought about what would endanger them, and at what point they would be in danger and the only thing I could come up with was that their hormonal changes at estrus which happened so quickly after the onset of puberty and the onset of the mutation would cause them to die, and it would most likely appear to be some form of natural causes which allowed for so many female feral mutants to fall through the cracks...

So I tried to come up with something that would explain it all, and originally she was going to be Logan's mate, and it was going to happen at the institute, and they were going to discover the problem and Victor, Hank and Logan were going to be there and she would choose Logan for her mate...but then I woke up one day with the phrase "I have been waiting since she was four hours old, did you think I was going to wait any longer" running through my head...in Victor's voice and I KNEW what I was going to do...

Chapter 4

She woke up early, Victor was sleeping next to her, and the sun wasn't even up yet. She was so used to waking up early for school. She started to slip out of bed to get her shower but his large hand came down on her leg.

"You ain't getting up yet. There's…" he looked over at the alarm clock "two hours till you have to get up."

"I am not used to sleeping late on school days."

"Who said anything about sleep…?" He leered at her.

"Victor, I have CLASS…" She didn't protest very long, and let him pull her back into the bed. She could feel the burn of her heat rising and knew she would need him before long anyway. His hands and mouth soothed the ache, his body quenched the fire, and by the time the alarm went off she was calm and ready to get her shower and get ready for school.

She slipped into the shower, scrubbing her hair, and trying to remember what exactly was on her schedule today. History was a no brainer, Calculus she had a quiz, Computer Programming she and George had a project due by the end of class, then was English with Ms. Green she was dreading that. Lunch was an hour and then she had Chemistry, Art History, and Comparative Mythology. Swim practice was after school.

She was rinsing conditioner out of her hair when she heard Victor in the bathroom. He pulled back the curtain and climbed in with her.

"You were using all the hot water." He said as he helped her rinse her hair. His hands traced down her body, pulling her against him under the flow of the water.

"VICTOR…." He kissed her cutting off her protest.

"Just wanted to make sure you remember I am at home waiting…" He grinned and pushed her out of the shower. "My turn."

She glared at him, and went into the bedroom to get dressed. She pulled one of her new outfits out of the closet. Full skirt, blouse, and light spring jacket. She decided that dressing up for her first full school day as a married woman might be a good idea. She felt a slight wave of panic. How was she going to deal with this at school? She knew her friends knew, but who else knew, and how were they going to act?

"Kitten, it's going to be fine." He said from the shower. She almost wished he couldn't smell when she was in a panic.

She pulled her clothes on and slipped into a pair of low heeled pumps. She fastened the cat pendant around her neck, the earrings in her ears, and was struggling with the clasp on the bracelet when she heard a noise behind her. She turned around just as he was coming out of the bathroom, he had a towel wrapped around his hips and water was flowing down his chest and legs. She gulped, school she needed to think about getting to school, or she wasn't getting out of this bedroom.

He gave her that look, the one that made her knees weak, and walked over to her and helped her clasp the bracelet. She looked up at him and he leaned down and kissed her. She ran out the door, his laughter following her. She knew he knew all he had to do was nod at the bed and she would forget all about her perfect attendance, scholarship, everything…

She threw a couple pastries in the toaster and loaded her homework in her bag while she waited for them to warm up. She could hear the buses driving down the street, arriving and dropping off students for school. She grabbed her pastries and headed for the door.

"You are going to be home for lunch?" He asked from the top of the stairs. She had to stop herself from running back up those stairs. Did he have to look that good in jeans and a T-shirt? She turned around and with every ounce of will power walked out the door.

She walked around to the back of the house and out the back gate. There was an opening in the school fence about ten feet down the alley behind the house and she slipped through the opening and into one of the back doors of the school. Amy, Heather and Terry were standing at her locker waiting for her.

"You are late." Amy said

"No I am not, classes haven't started yet." She grinned. George came running up, grinning.

"Morning Mrs. Creed." He grinned at her.

"SHUT UP!"

"What, you don't want anyone to know?"

"WHOA…where did you get the cats?" Leave it to Terry to notice.

"Where do you think?" The first warning bell rang and she ran for her History class. She walked in and immediately the teacher called her to his desk.

"Miss Stephens, can you explain exactly why I have to re-arrange my seating chart because you are no longer an S…" Shit! She didn't realize this was going to piss her teachers off. Coach Davis was a pain in the ass anyway, but still.

"I got married Friday." She said quietly.

"So because you were stupid enough to end up in a position that required a quick matrimonial solution, it is going to inconvenience me the rest of the school year." She looked at him in shock.

"Excuse me…did you just say what I think you just said?" She wasn't in the mood to be polite.

"If you were stupid enough to get pregnant, you could have waited until the end of the year instead of inconveniencing the faculty with your matrimonial issues."

"Coach…Not only am I NOT pregnant, I so hope you meet my husband in a dark alley after I tell him about this, and as for your 'seating chart' if you are lazy enough to have a problem with actually having to look up from your desk to take attendance, that is your problem not mine or my husbands."

She turned from his desk in a huff and sat down in her seat. She opened her history book and started working on the assignment on the board. The rest of the class came in and she was ignored most of the whispering. She doubted it was about her, yet, but she knew as soon as the rumors started, it would be about her by the end of the day.

She thought she had faced the worst with Coach Davis, but her calculus teacher was worse. He waited until everyone was in class before calling her to his desk and loudly asking why there had been a name change. She quietly tried to explain but he kept pretending he couldn't hear her, until she just got angry and shouted at him.

"I GOT MARRIED!" Damn the jerk.

The whole class laughed at that, and she walked to her desk mortified. Amy gave her a smile and a loud "Congratulations." She grinned at her, and walked to her desk. The quiz was a nightmare, but she passed. Dana Perkins, the head cheerleader was whispering to one of the other girls on the squad as she left her class. They stopped and just looked at her, and when she turned to leave, she heard them giggle and whisper behind her. She was so ready to claw someone's eyes out and it wasn't even third period yet.

She walked into the Computer class. George was there being a cut up, as usual, and she was able to explain quietly to Mr. Garibaldi without the entire class being involved in the discussion. She and George finished up their project before the period was half over and he spent the rest of the time giving her a hard time about Victor's ass.

George walked with her to English class. At least Ms. Green wouldn't have to ask why there was a name change. They had laughed so hard about the condom wrapper over pizza the other night, and she hoped that Ms. Green would not make a big deal out of things. She walked into class and saw Ms. Green and Dana Perkins standing at the window, watching something outside. She walked over to her desk which was by the window. She looked out to see what they were watching so intensely. Victor was working in the back yard, cleaning trash and debris out of the empty pool. His T-shirt was lying on one of the new lawn chairs and his back and chest were covered in sweat. She reached over and opened the window, without even thinking about it.

"VICTOR CREED PUT YOUR DAMN SHIRT ON!" He looked up and grinned at her. She hadn't even thought that the back yard would be visible from the school. They were definitely going to have to put up a privacy fence. She glared until he pulled his shirt back on, and then she turned and glared at Dana and Ms. Green.

"He's taken, get used to it." She snapped at them. Dana stood there, jaw open. Ms. Green had the grace to blush. She was furious, and had a hard time concentrating on class. Lunch was next, and she was going to give her husband a piece of her mind about giving half the school a damned peep show.

Dana tried to stop her after class but she ducked out the door. She wasn't in the mood to talk to the cheerleader. George, Amy, Heather and Terry followed her out the door, to her locker and then out the back door of the school.

"Just where the hell are you guys going?" She finally asked.

"If you think you are going home for lunch alone you are crazy. We don't want to be stuck in that lunch room, answering questions."

"Cowards." But she understood exactly what they were saying. "There is enough food in the fridge for lunch."

They slipped into the back gate. The pool did look a lot better, the concrete wasn't cracked like Victor had feared and it would only take a new pump and filter to be able to get water into it and start using it. She knew he had a contractor coming later in the week to look it over and start the improvements they had discussed over the weekend.

He was standing on the back porch as they trooped up the steps. She could tell he wasn't happy.

"Put my shirt on!"

"Half the fucking female population was getting a fucking peep show, Victor."

"Hell, like I care."

"I CARE!" He stepped back. "You are my mate; I don't want to have to share you with half the fucking school." Amy and Terry laughed. Heather was already in the kitchen making a sandwich for George.

"Ok, then…I will wear a shirt when I am working in the yard, SHIT!" He followed the three girls into the kitchen and grabbed Kat around the waist.

"Now, can I get a proper hello?" He said as he leaned down to kiss her. She slipped her arms around his neck and kissed him back.

"How was your morning?" He asked finally, after catcalls from the other kids caused them to cut short their kiss. She wanted nothing more than to run upstairs and spend the afternoon in bed, but she still had classes to go to, and problems to deal with.

"Hell is a pretty good description of my morning. I have been accused of being pregnant three times, had people whispering and talking behind my back, and all I want to do is claw someone's eyes out." He pulled her against his chest, stroking her back as she tried to relax. Her afternoon was going to be as bad or worse.

"You don't have to go back today. I can call you out." He whispered.

"No, I need to face this. If I don't do it now, I won't. I won't be a coward." She let him stroke her back. Heather had made her a sandwich and she ate it curled up on his lap in the living room, being with him was enough to calm her down. They all left about ten minutes before classes were supposed to start.

They all walked her to her locker, and Amy walked with her to her Chemistry class. They were lab partners but she was dreading dealing with Josh Jenkins. He sat behind them and was always giving her a hard time in class.

Mr. Baker didn't give her any problems about her name change, didn't even seem to notice it, and they sat through a lecture on noble gasses.

"psst…psst" It was Josh behind her.

"Leave me alone, Josh." She whispered.

Mr. Baker told them to get their chemicals for the experiment for the second half of the class, and Amy left the table to go get what they needed.

"Hey, are you doing anything tonight?"

"Josh, leave me alone."

"Are you doing anything tonight, I'm having a party and wanted to know if you wanted to come?"

"I'm busy tonight."

"What about tomorrow? I could take you to dinner…a movie."

"No, Josh, I am NOT going out with you."

"Give me one good reason why not…just one." She could tell he was getting angry, but she was too. She turned around and flashed her wedding ring in his face.

"I'll give you FIVE…CARATS." She turned back around.

"What the fuck is that? I'll kill whoever gave you that, baby…besides it can't be real…come on, and give me a reason. Why won't you go out with me?"

"It's a fucking wedding ring you idiot, and if you can kill my HUSBAND you are a far better man than I ever gave you credit for…of course you will be DEAD if you try." She heard him and his buddies laughing behind her and she and Amy ignored them the rest of the class. She knew they were idiots and hoped they wouldn't try anything stupid with Victor. The two of them hurried through the experiment and out of class to avoid Josh.

Her last two classes were both electives and both classes she enjoyed so it was easy to ignore the others in the class. Art History was something she was enjoying, they were up to impressionism. Her teacher gave her no problem about her name change, and most everyone in the class had at least heard one rumor or another and was leaving her alone. Comparative Mythology she shared with George and Terry and they sat together on one side of the room and basically dared anyone to mess with her.

They all flanked her on the way to the locker room for swim practice, and left her, George going to band practice and Amy to her gymnastics. The swim team was at least small, there were five girls on the team, and they all were more interested in getting showered and into the pool than talking.

Their coach set them up on the high dive today, and they each took turns. As she was standing in line one of the girls from the team, Melissa, poked her in the ribs and pointed to the fence surrounding the pool area.

"I heard you got married, and you get to sleep with THAT…damn you are lucky." She looked over at the fence; Victor was leaning against it, watching her, his shirt tucked into his back pocket, bare chested. She glared at him and climbed the ladder. She took her turn at the board, and with a glare at her half naked husband did a perfect triple flip before slicing cleanly into the water. Even her coach was impressed.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

If looks could kill, he would be so dead. He didn't know what she was pissed about. He had been working on the pool when he saw them up on the high board. He walked over to watch her dive, and for some reason she was upset. The dive was perfect though.

She finally gathered up her gear and headed into the locker room. He waited outside for her to come back out. She walked right past him and he reached out and grabbed her around the waist.

"Kitten we are going to have to talk about this possessiveness of yours."

She glared up at him and tried to pull out of his embrace. Damn, she was pissed.

"What the hell is your problem, Kitten?" He tightened his arms against her struggling body.

"Why do you have to make things worse? I told you this whole running around without your shirt thing was causing problems, but you didn't listen, and now I am going to have problems on the team. I NEED this scholarship, and I am NOT going to let you screw it up."

"Okay, first off, quit your damn struggling or I am throwing you over my shoulder and taking you home that way. Second, what the fuck are you talking about, what problems." He growled at her, his eyes going dangerously black. "Third, I told you, any fucking school you want, I would pay for, so why the FUCK is this damned scholarship so damned important?"

She looked up at him. SHIT, her eyes were as black as his. This wasn't good.

"Don't you DARE." She hissed…."You have caused enough problems today, I don't need any more embarrassment."

"Embarrassment, I am a fucking embarrassment?" He didn't even think, he just picked her up and threw her over his shoulder. She would fucking get over being embarrassed and he needed to let her know who the alpha in this relationship was. He stormed right through the crowd that had gathered, she was kicking and screaming, and he felt her claws dig into his back.

He growled a warning at her, but she didn't heed it. He stormed through the fence, and into the back yard of the house, up the steps to the back porch, slamming the door behind him with his free hand, straight down the hall, up the stairs and threw her across the bedroom and onto the bed.

"ENOUGH!" He roared. His hair was loose, and he could feel the rage building, he knew his eyes were pitch black, and she didn't even flinch. She was up, on her feet in the middle of the bed, claws out, eyes black, hissing and spitting like a cat.

She glared at him and kicked one of her shoes straight at his head. He caught it out of the air and threw it into the closet, the other shoe followed the same path, landing on top of its mate, which truth be told was exactly where he wanted to be at that moment. Watching her in her fury was actually calming him down, and she was one sexy Kitten when she was pissed.

She wanted a fight, and she was going to get one, but he was going to win, and she would either capitulate, or discover that resistance just made him all that much more aroused. He stalked across the room, waiting for her to spring. DAMN! She needed to learn to fight; she was broadcasting her moves so loudly he would have to be an idiot not to anticipate them. He caught her, grabbing her wrists, and pinning them behind her.

"You really need to learn how to fight, Kitten." He growled at her, before throwing her back down on the bed, his claws caught in her blouse and ripping it from her body as she fell. She came back up spitting and clawing again, and again he caught her, without a single scratch, this time the skirt was ripped off as she landed on the bed. He had to give her credit, she didn't give up, she came at him a third time, and somehow managed to at least get a claw across his chest before he caught her, this time crushing her to him, smearing his own blood on her chest before throwing her back onto the bed and stalking up to her before she was able to recover.

"Now we can either replace your wardrobe every week, or you are going to learn that I always win." He growled as he pinned her naked body to the mattress. "Either way is fine with me- but you will find that I always win."

She was bucking under him; her teeth looking for purchase on his skin, her hands with their sharp claws were pinned under her body. She managed to grab a hunk of skin from his shoulder and he roared half in pain and half in arousal as his blood filled her mouth. He made short work of getting his jeans off. He brought his mouth down hard on hers, cutting her lips on their fangs, the taste of her blood driving him higher in his rage and need.

Her scent was what brought him back to sanity. She was in full heat again, and there was no way he was going to allow himself to forget his promises to her, she was his mate, his responsibility, and there was no way in hell he was going to give her a cub now. He pulled his head back and grabbed her jaw with one of his clawed hands, the tips just digging into the skin under her ears.

"This stops NOW!" He hissed. "You are my MATE, live with it. I don't give a flying fuck if I 'embarrass" you, you don't have a choice. I will do what I want, when I want, and you will fucking live with it, or I will fucking lock you up until you do."

With that he climbed off of her, and stormed into the bathroom. Cold water from the shower didn't help much, but he wasn't going to hurt her and he wasn't going to let her win. He stormed back into the bedroom, grabbed clean jeans and a clean shirt and without a word stormed out the door, slamming it behind him. He went into the guest room and dressed, then stormed down the stairs, grabbing the keys from the hook by the door, and slammed the front door on his way out.

He needed a drink, bad. He sat in the car, just gripping the steering wheel, before starting it and throwing it into gear. He peeled out of the driveway and headed for the nearest bar. DAMN, he wasn't sure what he was most pissed about, that she was fucking embarrassed by him, or that she had pushed him to the point of nearly raping her.

He sat there in the bar for hours, ignoring the whores trying to get his attention. Five bottles of scotch later and he still wasn't feeling any better. He paid the tab and left. He needed blood. He drove trying to think of a way to satisfy his need for blood without fucking killing anyone and letting the world know he was fucking alive. It wouldn't be good for the Kitten for him to be discovered now.

Thinking of her only made him angrier. He was in a spiral, he couldn't deal with the blood without killing, and killing would let the world know he was still alive, which would endanger his Mate, who was the one who pissed him off enough to need the damned blood in the first place.

He had been driving for hours, a red haze over his vision. When he wasn't thinking about killing something he was thinking of the furious vixen he had left in their bed at home. Suddenly his vision cleared, and something clicked, he could almost hear it in his brain, the sound of that word, grinding in, he slammed on the breaks. HOME! FUCK what the hell was he doing out here. He needed to be at home.

He pulled quietly into the driveway. The house was dark. He felt a sudden surge of fear, and then dismissed it. He walked up the steps of the porch, and inserted the key in the lock. The grinding of the lock grated on his nerves. It seemed to take forever to unlock. He opened the door, closing it quietly behind him. He could smell her, she was still upstairs. He hung the keys on the hook and slowly climbed the stairs. He stood outside the bedroom door, her tears, her fear, her need, her anger, her pain a mixture of scents that nearly brought him to his knees.

He reached out to open the door, and found it locked. He nearly kicked it in, right then, but somehow he didn't think that would be a good idea.

"Kitten…I'm sorry." He said the words softly, fighting his instincts, the ones that told him to rip that fucking door off its hinges and claim his mate willing or not. He wanted to roar, to snarl, to growl; instead he did something he NEVER did. HE apologized…and then he begged.

"Kitten, please, open the door. We need to talk about this, settle it. I promise, I won't touch you, please, baby…open the door." He leaned his forehead against the cool wood of the door and waited. She wasn't moving in the room, he didn't know what else he could do; this was as low as he had ever sunk for a frail, begging CRAP.

He took another scent of the room beyond the door. Her fear and heat were strongest, but were…SHIT! He kicked in the door. She was still lying on the bed, unconscious. He had fucking been gone almost too long. He climbed onto the bed with her, trying to revive her.

"Kitten, baby, KITTEN!" Her eyes fluttered. He could hear the strain on her heart, he needed to save her. His lips gently traced hers, trying to let her body, her mutation, know he was there, that he wasn't leaving. THIS shit should be almost over, he hadn't even thought when he left, and he had known she was in a cycle but STILL left. This was all his fucking fault.

Her eyes opened, she saw him and the wave of fear that hit him almost sent him off the bed.

"No, please, leave me alone." She whispered.

"Baby, no, I won't let you leave me." He whispered back against her lips, his hands gently tracing down her body. She must have gotten up at some point, she had showered, and the blood from their fight was gone. She pushed against his chest, trying to push him away. He wouldn't let her, but he wasn't going to force her either.

"Kitten, please, I know you are still angry, hell I am too, but we both need to put that aside at the moment. YOU need me, and that's the only thing that matters to me at the moment."

He kissed her, gently, begging her with his hands, his mouth to accept him. She moaned against his lips, and began to respond. He quickly took his clothes off, and grabbed a package from the table. He slipped it on, and slid into her, she tried to wrap her legs around him but she was too weak. He kissed her neck, gently nipping his mark on her neck, he felt her body buck under him, and he started moving. He was afraid, terribly afraid that he was too late, that this wouldn't work, and that her body was too weak to accept him. He could feel her body trying to respond to him, her muscles gripping him inside her, but she was so weak. He felt tears sliding down his cheeks, watched them fall on her lips. Her tongue slipped out to lick them away, and she looked up at him, her eyes clear, no sign of her rage, just passion, need, and he knew he had been in time.

"Never again…" he whispered against her ears as he drove her body to its peak. "I will never leave you again, not in anger, and NEVER when I know you need me." He kept whispering "Never again" until he felt her climax under him. Her eyes were hooded, tired, and he kissed her gently, pulling out, and throwing the condom away. He stroked the side of her face until she drifted into sleep and then went and took another cold shower.

In the shower, his tears flowed again; he had nearly lost her, to his own fucking arrogance and stupidity, and for all he knew, he had lost her, lost her love, lost her smiles, her laughter. He knew she would come to him, when her cycles hit, but once they were over, she didn't have to stay with him, and he decided that if she didn't want to be with him, he wouldn't force her to stay.

He slipped out of the bathroom, quietly, trying not to wake her. He pulled on a clean pair of sweat pants and went downstairs to the dark living room. He sat there in the dark, waiting for her to wake up, waiting to find out just how badly he had screwed up.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

She opened her eyes. The room was dark, and too quiet. His heartbeat was missing, his breath, and the sound of the blood moving in his body, the sounds that soothed her to sleep. She wondered if it had been a dream, him coming back. She had been so lethargic, and yet in so much pain she couldn't remember. She thought she remembered his voice, promising to never leave her again. But that couldn't be, he wasn't here. It was two in the morning, the digital display on the clock the only light in the room.

She heard a noise downstairs. She took a sniff of the air and realized it was Victor. He was here, just not HERE. She lay there a moment. Why did he leave? Why couldn't he understand? She wasn't ready for this, her entire world, until three days ago had been school, the swim team and getting the scholarship. She couldn't just change overnight. She knew once these cycles were over he didn't have to be stuck with a kid like her anymore, at least not until the next time.

She was so afraid he would find a WOMAN he wanted, and go back to 'Uncle' Vic with her. His display today scared her. It was like he was TRYING to advertise that he was available, and she didn't want to have to share him, it would kill her to see him with another woman. She heard his footsteps on the stairs. He knew she was awake.

She saw his silhouette in the broken doorway. She smelled pain, fear, and anger from him. He walked across the floor, sitting quietly on the edge of the bed.

"Kitten?" He whispered.

"I'm sorry." She whispered back. She knew he could smell her tears.

"No, baby, I'm the one who is sorry. I don't know what happened, the rage hit and I couldn't control it. I never want to hurt you."

"I shouldn't have yelled at you, I just…it…it was a rough day, and seeing you there, flaunting yourself like that, I just wanted to kill all of them for looking at you." Her voice was harsh as she said it.

"DAMN! That's what this is all about. YOU … thought I was flaunting myself at THEM. Kitten I was flaunting myself at YOU! SHIT! You are the only woman I want, ever. But if you want me to leave after your cycles, to get out of your way, I will."

"Out of my way, WHAT?" Where had that come from? "You aren't in my way, I love you."

"Well, evidently I embarrassed the hell out of you today." He was looking at his hands.

"Well, yeah…you did. But I think I can live with it. Besides George convinced everyone it was just you being an impatient new husband and all that…"

"George…?"

"Yea, well when you took off like that, he had to convince the coach and the band teacher not to call the cops. He convinced them that it was just you being impatient to get me home and to bed…"

"Well, he was mostly right…That's what it was, until you started fighting me like that."

"I think I need to go on a hunting trip or something. Dad used to take me out, let me hunt rabbits and stuff, to deal with the bloodlust."

"FUCK!!! You were pissed enough to need to KILL something." She hated admitting it. She knew he didn't like that part of her being a feral, that she had the anger, the bloodlust, the need to feel it, to taste it, to smell it all around her, but she did. She knew he wouldn't want her to stay now.

"I'm sorry Vic. As soon as I can I will go back to Mom and Dad's. I know you don't want to have to deal with all my crap."

"Kitten, shit, do you know how much I LOVE the idea of a mate that will HUNT with me. SHIT…I just don't want you hunting HUMANS with me, although that could have it's up side, a partner I could trust, to have my back on a job would be nice…NO I promised your Dad, I wouldn't get you involved in that part of my life."

"It doesn't bother you that I need to kill, that I need blood?"

"Hell no, does it bother you that I do?"

"No."

"So what the hell was the fight about?"

"I…needed blood, and I didn't want to hurt anyone at school. I thought you would at least be safer to attack than they were."

"Okay, two things…next time, a little warning, that you want to play rough, and you have GOT to learn HOW to fight. You fight like a fucking frail."

"How am I going to learn?"

"I am going to fucking teach you. SHIT! I want you to be able to take me down, Kitten. If you can do that, I know you can take care of anything else. I am the baddest son of a bitch I know…bar none."

She giggled at that. He stretched out on the bed next to her, urging her to roll over onto her side. He spooned against her back, pulling her tight against his chest, on hand resting across her belly.

"Now what problems were you having that pissed you off like that, and how did I make them worse?" He whispered against her ear.

She told him about her day, about the gossip, and the nasty comments and that had been from the teachers. He listened, stroking her hair, kissing her ear as she vented about the idiots at her school.

"And then Melissa, the team…I just couldn't take it anymore. And if Josh Jenkins doesn't leave me alone I am going to send him to the hospital." She finally ran out of steam.

"Why don't you leave Mr. Jenkins to me?"

"I don't want him DEAD."

They both lay there a moment and then burst out laughing. She cuddled against him, her eyes heavy. She had another long day tomorrow, dealing with the repercussions of today, and somehow, she needed to get some sleep.

She woke up tired. Normally her body just recovered from things, but today she was just tired. She didn't understand it. She could tell Victor was worried. He kept trying to convince her not to go to school, to stay in bed and get some rest. She promised him she would take a nap as soon as she got home, she didn't have swim practice today so she would be home right after school.

She almost fell asleep in the shower. Victor had to help her get dressed; she kept leaning on the wall. He almost put his foot down, but she insisted he wait until she ate some breakfast before trying to force her to stay home. He went downstairs and cooked her breakfast while she gathered up her things for school. He insisted she eat and sit in the living room until it was time for her to leave. She was feeling better after eating and he grudgingly let her go out the back door and to school.

She was much earlier than yesterday and her friends were waiting, and George in particular was worried.

"Are you ok? Did he ever come home last night?"

"Yeah, he came home and we worked things out." It was an understatement but the truth.

"Wow, no new shinys today." Terry pouted.

"Silly…" She was just wearing her locket today. She loved her cats, but they were just too much to wear with jeans. "He isn't giving me something new EVERY day."

"I know…but damn…he has really good taste."

"Let's see, since we were married last Friday…he bought me a HOUSE, gave me this ROCK on my hand, the cats, bought me new clothes, furnished the house, bought us a car, bought HIM a new wardrobe…I think he needs to slow down a bit." As she listed everything she really started to get worried. He had spent a LOT of money the last week.

"Well, when you put it that way, where does the money come from?" Terry said.

"I know he and my dad did some mercenary work when they were younger, and made a fortune doing it, they protected oil rigs down in South America while things were crazy down there."

"WOW…he must have really invested it well then."

"Why do you say that?"

"Well my dad knows the people who owned the Baymont place, and he paid CASH for the house, or rather cashier's check, full price. I KNOW how much some of that furniture cost, and the living room alone was ten grand, maybe twelve, with that big screen TV. I would say probably one hundred grand furnishing the house, the house was about two hundred and fifty according to what my dad said last night, that rock on your hand is REAL, and has to be worth at least fifty grand. The cats…I can't even imagine what those cost, I KNOW how much that outfit you wore yesterday cost I have been drooling over it waiting for it to go on sale…so I would say in the clothes and stuff at least ten thousand easy. Katherine, he has spent over half a million dollars, without batting an eye." Leave it to Terry who couldn't balance a budget, to know the exact cost of everything in her life.

"Whoa…I think I am going to have to have a talk with him when I get home. THAT's a LOT of cash." She was in a bit of a panic. Half a million dollars…?

She walked into her History class, but there was a substitute so she didn't have to worry about facing Coach Davis…she did have a moment's worry about Victor having done something, but then the sub said he was out at a doctor's appointment.

Dana finally cornered her before Calculus.

"Katherine, I just wanted to tell you, congratulations. I don't know where you found him, but you are really lucky. I wish I had a guy like that." Kat blushed a little. Was that what she had wanted to say yesterday?

"Thanks, Dana, I'm sorry for avoiding you yesterday, it was just crazy."

"Hey, no problem…I understand." The cheerleader smiled at her. Maybe it wasn't as bad as she thought.

Her Calculus teacher ignored her, and Amy passed her notes with funny pictures of her being carried off over Victor's shoulder…with captions like "CAVEMAN" under them. She laughed. Her computer class was a little rough, but that was because George was still worried.

"Kat you look like hell, are you sure you are ok."

"We were just up all night getting things settled, its okay, George really."

"I have seen you pull all nighters before, you never looked this bad." Shit did she really look that bad. She asked for a hall pass and went to the bathroom. Inside she heard two girls laughing.

"…heard that he actually paid cash for the Baymont place just so she wouldn't have to get up as early for school.

"Damn…and he is so much older than she is, where the hell did she meet him." That was Melissa from the swim team.

"I heard he was an old friend of her parents, and that he told Judge Miller that he had been waiting since she was four hours old."

"You don't think it was like some arranged thing do you…?"

"Not the way he was acting at swim practice yesterday…he carried her off like a caveman or something."

"God, how romantic…waited since she was four hours old, bought her a house, just so she could sleep in, does he have a brother or can I clone him." That was Melissa again.

She walked into the bathroom, interrupting the three girls. It was Melissa and two girls from the Junior class she didn't know.

"As far as I know, no he doesn't have a brother." The girls all jumped.

"Sorry, Kat." Melissa was blushing.

"Hey, no problem, I kinda figured we would be the gossip for a while." She smiled at her team mate.

"Well if you EVER get tired of him…can I borrow him?"

"Trust me I will be old and gray before I get tired of him." The other three laughed and left the bathroom. Katherine looked in the mirror. George was right. She had dark circles under her eyes, her face was pale, and she looked like she had been sick for a week.

She splashed water on her face and headed back to class.

"Okay, George, I look like hell. I am feeling a lot better though, so don't worry so much. Victor is bad enough. He tried to make me stay home this morning."

"Well did you ever think he might be RIGHT?" Shit George was taking Victor's side.

"If I still feel like shit after lunch I will stay home, okay."

"I'd feel better."

The intercom buzzed and Mr. Garibaldi walked to the button on the wall.

"Mr. Tomlinson would like to see Mrs. Creed." Great now she had to go see the damned principal.

George gave her thumbs up as she headed out of the classroom. The halls were quiet, and she made her way to the office. The secretary had her sit down and wait. Mr. Tomlinson opened his door and gestured her into his office.

"I have been doing some checking into your unique situation. I do not have any recourse as far as school itself is concerned. As long as you keep your grades up and there is no cause for disciplinary actions, your marital status will not affect your scholastic work. However, when it comes to extracurricular activities, I do have some say. You will be able to stay on the swim team, as long as your academics remain high."

"What does my marital status have to do with ANYTHING?"

"I do not approve of and will not be seen as condoning underage marriage."

"Last time I checked you were the principal of the school, not my father. YOU have no say in my personal life."

"I do have say in what you are allowed to participate in, and in what events your 'husband' will be allowed to attend."

"Excuse me?" She was getting furious again.

"It has come to my attention that you were planning on attending the Prom with your husband as your escort. That will not be allowed." The little weasel looked smug.

"Unless you want me to sue the hell out of you and the school district over that one, you better change your mind. Believe me, my husband has far more money than YOU or this podunk school district has…and you would LOSE."

"The Prom is an extracurricular activity and I have final say on who may or may not attend."

"We will see about that. You are about to be facing a serious discrimination lawsuit, marital status is one of those things you can't discriminate against, along with AGE. So if you use either one of those reasons, I WIN. "

Mr. Tomlinson just looked at her, jaw slack. She almost had to laugh. She knew he had thought she was just a quiet kid who didn't cause any problems. He had tried to force her out of school two years ago when he found out she was a mutant and now he was trying it again because of Victor. Well he wasn't going to win, not this time, not over THIS issue. She had done her homework, and wasn't going to capitulate. IF he wanted to pursue this, she was willing to fight.

"You can't do anything, Mrs. Creed, you are still a minor."

"Emancipated, based on marital status, I can file my own lawsuit if I want. The courts recognize marriage and setting up a household as emancipation. For a principal, you are really dumb when it comes to what they teach in school."

"Get out of my office."

"Gladly. See you at the Prom." She glared at the man as she walked out the door. She hoped to hell Victor was home when she got there for lunch. She needed a punching bag.

At least English class went smoothly. Ms. Green even apologized for ogling her husband yesterday, which made her feel a little better. She told her friends she didn't know if she would be back from lunch, she wasn't feeling well, and as soon as the bell rang, she took off for the house.

"I am going to kill that pencil necked asshole…" She shouted as she stormed in the door. She hoped that was warning enough. He stuck his head out of the kitchen door.

"Does that mean we go straight to bed…or do you want lunch first?" He was grinning.

"FOOD first..." He had lunch on the table. She sat down and started eating, telling him about her 'interview' with Mr. Tomlinson. He laughed his ass off when she told him about threatening to sue them for discrimination.

"DAMN! Wish I could have been there for that. I'd say you handled it quite well." She stood up, and started out the kitchen door. He was still sitting at the table.

"Victor, I have thirty minutes until I have to get back to school, would you mind terribly…GET UP OFF YOUR ASS." The heat was building and she didn't want to deal with it at school.

His face became suddenly serious. He stood up, crossed the kitchen, picked her up and carried her up stairs. Her perfect attendance ended up shot to hell…he called the school telling them she was sick, and they spent the rest of the afternoon in bed.


	6. Chapter 6

Kittens Have Claws, Too.

Sabretooth has found his mate. Does he have the patience to wait for her?

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**

Thanks again to my Co Author and Beta…Lady Mage

Chapter 6

She rolled over in the bed, alone again.

"Victor..." She listened; she couldn't hear him, not in the bedroom, not in the house.

She climbed out of bed and pulled a robe on.

She walked through the house, but he was nowhere to be found, the car was still in the driveway and she could smell him, recently in the house, but she couldn't find him. He wasn't in the back yard, wasn't on the roof, wasn't on the porches, front or back. The sun was barely down and she didn't know where he had gone.

His phone started ringing from the living room and she ran in to answer it, hoping it was him.

"Is Victor Creed there?" The male voice on the other end of the phone was familiar but she couldn't place it.

"He lives here, but he doesn't seem to be home at the moment."

"Who is this?"

"Katherine Creed, his wife."

"HIS WHAT?" The voice suddenly sounded very female.

"Who is this?" Kitten asked.

"Senator Robert Kelly. Tell Mr. Creed to call me at once."

"SENATOR KELLY?"

"Yes."

She heard the door open behind her. Victor walked in, a bag from the convenience store down the street in his hand.

"I went to get some beer, I was out." He nodded toward the phone. "Who's that?"

"Senator Kelly?" She said the question obvious.

"FUCK!" He roared, snatching the phone out of her hand.

"MYST I fucking told you not to call me. SHIT you spooked the hell out of my wife."

"Yes WIFE, damn…I am not allowed a personal life SHIT!"

"WHAT? No, we can't do that. NOT NOW."

"I told you, Myst… FUCK if anyone is listening, that's your fucking problem not mine."

"Listen Blue Butt, I ain't getting involved right now, now quit fucking calling me, I am dead! Remember?"

She just stood there listening to his side of the conversation. Who was this person?

"Look, the fucking bucket-head is YOUR boyfriend."

"Well, he's certainly not MINE!"

""No, I ain't gunna- . . . Look, if I go help your blue ass; the cops are going to catch on that I'm not pushing daisies! I got shit ta take care of here- and it is WAY fucking more important than that superfluous old twit in the Twinkie wrapper in Washington!""

No, I ain't changin' my mind- I'm changin' the-…what? … superfluous- means… excessive, unnecessary, overdone- oh, COME ON, RAVEN! No's NO!

"No…I ain't changing my mind but I am changing the subject…Do you still do that design crap, you know party dresses and stuff…"

"Yea, I kinda need something like that…for the wife…no…not a job…the fucking Prom."

"You can quit laughing now."

What the hell was he talking about? She was really starting to get pissed off. He held up one hand at her and smiled. He put his hand over the phone.

"Kitten, its business, I'll explain later." He put the phone back to his ear. "Never mind she is still busting a gut.

"It's someone I worked with, anyway she wants me to help her get her boyfriend out of jail, but I ain't going to let the world know I am alive just yet so she can fucking get him out herself… DAMN Myst, ya think you would take a breath or something SHIT enough already."

He set the phone down and put it on speaker…and gestured Kitten over to him.

"Well, let me know when you are done…I'm gona make love to my wife while I wait."

She walked over and he slipped is arms around her waist. The laughter on the phone just wouldn't stop…She heard the woman on the other end of the line.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA"

"Oh my fucking God! Fucking PROM!!! Ah"

"FUCKING . . . YOU GOTTA BE SHITTIN' ME HAHAHAHAH!!!!"

"YOU TUX, fucking cat in a fucking monkey suit!!!! …CORSAGE! Are you going to buy her catnip!….FUCKING KILLING ME HERE!!!!!!!!!!!"

The voice on the phone was starting to wheeze and Kitten was really starting to get pissed. She kissed Victor, biting his lip and causing him to let out a very loud growl. She bit him even harder, getting a roar and his claws deep in her ass for her trouble…and suddenly the laughter stopped, there wasn't even a hitch of breath - just sudden silence.

"YOU are NOT FUCKING your wife right now, are you Victor? GROSS!!"

"Well, you wouldn't shut up." Kitten said, smugly, her antics had caused the heat to rise. "And I got bored. So are you going to actually say something or waste more minutes laughing…I really need to get laid."

"Like I give a shit what some little girl who needs a fucking dress for the fucking Prom needs. I have business to discuss with Victor, go do your homework little girl."

"Well, since my husband is here and in my arms and VERY ready to meet my needs, while your 'boyfriend' is rotting in some jail somewhere, at least I know which one of us is getting our needs met…Bitch. I would be glad to send you a gift certificate to Christie's Toy Box."

"Victor, what did you call her, Kitten, well you need to clip her claws before she gets hurt."

"At least I HAVE claws…and a husband who appreciates them."

"Do you know who you are talking to, little girl."

"No, should I?"

"Ladies, enough…" Victor put his hand over Katherine's mouth. "RAVEN, enough…leave my wife alone." He picked up the phone, taking it off speaker. "I seriously doubt the good Senator would be having a cat fight with a teenager in his office."

"Raven, there is no way that is going to work…NO, come on woman use your fucking head, shit…FUCK! Do I have ta do everything. SHIT! Go find one of the guards and inject liquid iron into his body, Eric can use it ta walk out of there. DAMN you are way too frazzled woman."

Katherine tried to pull away from him but he just dug his claws in, keeping her against him, his arousal very prominent.

"YES. SHIT! Raven pull your head out of your ass. Go back to being the Senator and when the time is right use it. You owe me or rather Kitten a fucking dress…YES! Damn it. Naa fly out here sometime, take a break, we have a guest room, if you can stand the noise…Right…Bye Raven…I am going to get laid now…" He hung up the phone, and threw her over his shoulder.

"Fuck the beer…I need myself a Kitten."

It was late in the evening when they both managed to come downstairs and think about dinner. He started cooking while she sat at the table.

"So what was all of that about earlier?" She finally asked.

"Mystique, I told you about her, she's a mutant, a shape shifter. She has been impersonating Senator Kelly for a month or so now. She's with the group I have been with lately, The Brotherhood of Mutants. Erik Lensherr, the leader of the group is in jail right now for the whole Statue of Liberty thing."

"So you have been…helping with the whole mutant thing…?"

"Sort of …"

"And you trust her? Them?"

"Yes…"

"If she gives me problems I am going to kill her." She wanted to leap across the table at him as he laughed at her.

"Kitten, until you learn to fight, stick to killing squirrels." 

"I prefer rabbits…"

He turned on her, suddenly fierce. "I don't kill rabbits."

"Fine, they are better eating than squirrels but to each their own." She said. She didn't understand the look on his face, the fear at the mention of something as harmless as a rabbit.

"Just eat your dinner." He grumbled dropping a plate in front of her…it was some kind of tomato sauce, hamburger and macaroni dish. She just started eating. "Are you feeling any better?"

"Yeah…I have slept most of the day; well…I managed some sleep." She grinned at him. He knew exactly why she hadn't slept much.

"Do you feel up to going out this evening, I need to go by the shipping place before they close and pick up my stuff."

She wolfed down the rest of her dinner. "Let me go get dressed."

They pulled out of the driveway and headed downtown. The shipping place was still open and he signed for the eight boxes. EIGHT boxes, just of clothes, she really needed to talk to him about financial responsibility.

"Victor, are you sure we can afford this?"

"Hell, Kitten…have you even USED that ATM card yet?"

"No."

"Go pull you some cash and do a balance inquiry." What was he up to?

She walked over to the ATM machine while he loaded the boxes in the car. She swiped the card and hit fast cash to pull fifty dollars for her pocket…the receipt printed out, and she shook her head. She hit the balance inquiry button and the receipt printed again…she still couldn't believe it. That was a whole lot of numbers behind that eight…she counted in front of the decimal point…six numbers and then the eight…and forty-three cents.

She walked back to the car. She watched him sitting there, a grin on his face. She didn't know what to do. Eight million plus dollars, and SHE had access to it. He was crazy. Who would give a kid unlimited access to that kind of money? Her idiot husband, that's who.

She climbed into the car.

"Want to go spend some of that?" He asked.

"NO…how long does that have to last us?"

"I don't know…as long as it does." He was still grinning.

"Do you NOT know what a budget is? This money has to last us, unless you have more coming in from somewhere and even if you do, shit, Victor, we need to invest it, stretch it out."

"Kitten…slow down. That's the household account. I have eight other accounts, and can transfer money from them at any time if you run out."

"If _**I**_ run out…you mean that is all for ME."

"Yeah."

"SHIT!"

"You okay with that…?"

"NO!!!!!!!"

"I thought ten mil would get the house set up and take care of everything that needed done, but if you need more…?"

"VICTOR…you are a fucking IDIOT. WHAT am I going to do with eight million dollars….TEN million? THERE was TEN MILLION DOLLARS IN THAT ACCOUNT?! Where the hell did one and a half million dollars go…?"

He pulled back into the driveway of the house…"Well you are looking at two hundred and fifty thousand of it. The furniture and set up was about one hundred and fifty thousand, I have already ordered and paid for the tile for the pool, and paid the deposit on the contractor, my suits ain't cheap, I know there is an invoice in here somewhere, but I would figure five hundred thousand or so to replace my wardrobe…I haven't kept track of the small stuff."

She just sat there stunned … his WARDROBE cost more than the house they were living in? She suddenly felt cheap. All she owned was jeans and T-shirts and the few things he had bought for her over the weekend.

She helped him haul the boxes up to their bedroom. He set them inside the closet, and didn't unpack them.

"You are just going to leave them there?"

"I need to go buy good hangers. I am not hanging those suits on plastic pieces of crap, I need good wooden hangers."

"Well didn't they COME with hangers?"

"No…I wasn't paying the weight on international shipping. It's cheaper to buy the hangers here than have them shipped from fucking England."

"YOU were worried about COST…I am going to have a heart attack." She teased. The sudden serious look on his face worried her. "What did I say?"

He didn't say a word, just walked across the room and pulled her into his arms. They were like steel bands around her, as if he were trying to hold her against him and struggling against a great force.

"Kitten, please, don't say that." He leaned down and kissed her, all teasing gone from his eyes. "Don't ever frighten me like that again."

"Like what?"

"Never mind." He kissed her again, lifting her in his arms and carrying her to the bed. He slowly stripped her clothing off, unbuttoning the buttons slowly, kissing each inch of exposed skin as if it were precious. For some reason this was different, she didn't understand but wasn't going to argue with him. She reached out to help him undress but he stopped her. He didn't pin her down, just stopped her hand and gave her a look that seemed to beg her to allow him…what she didn't know, and she just lay back and allowed him to do what he wanted.

His hands and mouth were gentle, almost as if she were something delicate, which would break. There was something different about this time, she didn't understand, she just knew that each touch, each caress, each brush of his lips on her skin felt good…without urgency – that was it. There was no burn, no need, and no heat. Her cycles must be over. She waited as his body and his hands told her without words just how much he needed her, but still no ache, at least not the burning ache of her heat, the ache of pure need was building, but without the desperation of her cycle.

He pulled back, her clothing already on the floor. She watched his every movement graceful, almost like a dance just for her. Slowly he unbuttoned his shirt, pulling it from the waistband of his pants and shrugging it down his arms, unbuttoning the wrists, and letting the soft cotton pool behind him on the bed. She wanted to run her hands up and down his chest but he stayed right out of her reach, slipping off the bed to unfasten his pants and slide them to the floor, before climbing back and lying next to her.

She didn't blush this time, his body was so beautiful, and she couldn't stop looking at him. His hands traced her body again, gently, soothingly. His lips were soft, his claws sheathed, and his fangs gentle. She just moaned under his gentle touch, wanting desperately to touch him, to give him as much pleasure as he was giving her. Every time she moved her hands to touch him he would grab her wrist and kiss her palm and gently lay her arm back on the bed, then go back to his exploration of her body.

He brought his face level with hers, kissing her as he eased himself on top of her. He started to reach for the night stand but she stopped him.

"No need, Victor. It's over." She whispered. The look of pure joy on his face was almost transcendent. He slid inside of her, flesh to flesh for the first time and she reveled in the feel of him. The latex had hidden his heat, the feel of his body inside her; this was more real, more intimate. He didn't rush, didn't push, he let her slowly build to her climax, his own not far behind, and for the first time she felt the hot rush of his seed pumping into her. It was a sensation she never wanted to forget.

He collapsed on top of her, his body totally relaxed. She didn't mind his weight, or the fact that he didn't move. It felt right, and then he started moving again, and she laughed with joy, his healing factor worked wonders, as did hers, and without having to change a condom, they could just keep going. It was wonderful, slow and teasing, fast and furious, intense and completely naked.

"Kitten, damn." He said finally, hours later. The only sounds either of them had made were growls grunts and roars, coherency had been beyond them. He was lying on his back, her head on his chest, resting. The moonlight streaming in the window was the only light other than the clock.

"What?" She laughed.

"If I had known it was going to be like that I would have risked the fucking cub. SHIT! I am NEVER wearing another one of those damned things again." She laughed. She didn't want him to wear one ever again either.

"Well, we have ten years to worry about that, according to what I understand?"

"Yes we do…thank God!"

She was stroking the soft hair on his chest, marveled at its texture and thickness. It reminded her almost of rabbit fur, and she remembered the conversation earlier.

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why don't you hunt rabbits?"

"I don't want to talk about." She could feel him tense.

"Ok, I was just curious." She didn't want him tense or upset, tonight had been too perfect.

"When I was little, just a cub, my father couldn't stand what I was. He'd lock me in a cellar, beat me, and rip my fangs and claws out, every day. He'd refuse to feed me. I would be hungry for days, sometimes weeks." She felt him trembling under her hand. She wanted him to stop, she didn't want him reliving this, telling her about it, but he just kept talking, almost as if he were in a daze. "He would wait until I was starving and weak, and then he would throw rabbits down, and tell me if I was hungry to kill and eat them, like the monster I was. I did. When I got out of that damned cellar, and ripped his fucking throat out, I swore I would never hunt, kill, or eat another rabbit as long as I lived." Her tears were wetting his chest. She could smell his pain, his fear at the memory.

"I am so sorry, Victor. I never should have asked." She whispered, kissing his chest gently before raising up on one elbow to look at his face. His eyes were black, hard, cold and very frightening. She knew this must be how he looked in combat, in a fight to the death. She knew she was getting a glimpse of the man her father knew, the one he was afraid of.

He reached out and pulled her back down against his chest. "I never told anyone that, ever. I don't like to think about when I was a cub much."

"I won't ask, then." She whispered against his chest, she didn't want to ever cause him pain.

"No, Kitten…if anyone has the right to ask it is you." She felt his arm relax around her and he gently kissed the top of her head.

"I don't like hearing the pain in your voice." She whispered.

"You need to know who you are stuck with."

"I know I love you, I always have, and I know how you have always been with me and my family, and that's all I need to know." She was tracing his name into the soft hair on his chest. He captured her hand with his, and kissed her head again.

"You need to get some sleep, unless you are not going to school today?"

She moaned, she really didn't want to go, but she still wanted to try for that scholarship, she knew yesterday afternoon had really hurt her chances, but perfect attendance wasn't a requirement, it was helpful.

"You don't have to go if you don't want to. I know you are worried about that damned scholarship but, Kitten it isn't like you have to worry about how you are paying for college." He chuckled.

"I know that, but I want to do something…to do my share, I don't want it just given to me. I want to feel like I earned it." He laughed a deep rumble under her ear.

"I can certainly understand that. Kitten, just because I am paying for the tuition and books and shit doesn't mean you ain't going ta have ta work for it. YOU will be doing all the fucking work, going to class, doing the damned papers and homework and shit. I don't want you to have to worry about the MONEY that's all."

"Well I am STILL going to try for the scholarship, if only to be able to SWIM for the school, I would like to try out for the Olympics someday, well if they take mutants." That was a dream she hadn't mentioned in years, but one she hoped he understood.

"THE OLYMPICS!" She was afraid he was going to laugh. "SHIT! Am I going to have to keep you pissed off to dive like that?"

"No, although it did help, besides I can't try out right now anyway, they have a no mutant policy." She heard him growl. "Hey it makes sense; it isn't fair to make normal people compete against mutants."

"I know…but it's still wrong." He started stroking her hair. "You need sleep."

"I know, I just am not tired."

"Shhhhh." She heard a soft purring from his chest and relaxed against him. He would protect her, keep her safe, and with that soft sound she loved so much she drifted off to sleep.

XXXXXXXXXX

He climbed out of bed early. He opened the drawer in the nightstand and threw the remaining packages in the trash. Wouldn't have to worry about that for ten more years, and he still couldn't stop grinning about it. She was curled up in the middle of the huge bed, like - well like a kitten - and he didn't want to wake her. He climbed into the shower and dressed quietly. She still had an hour of sleep before she needed to get up for school. He slipped downstairs and started breakfast.

The bacon was in the skillet when the phone rang.

"Good morning, Vic." It was David.

"Mornin." He was having a hard time thinking of him as his father in law.

"How's things going?"

"Her cycles quit yesterday. We got through this one." He wasn't ready to tell her father just how close they came to losing her, or about his pure stupidity about it.

"Well, Dee will be glad to hear that. Listen, I just got a call, from one of the oil companies. They want me to set up a security detail for a rig in international waters, well actually just outside the Persian Gulf. Dee doesn't want me to do it, with all the crap going on, but well…it's good money, and while things aren't tight, I would like a little more cushion for retirement."

"I ain't workin, right now, Dave. We discussed this."

"I know I just want your advice. Who to trust, that kind of thing, the guys we have used, well they are all older, and I have been out of the merc business for a while now, and don't know who is good and who isn't."

"How long do you have, to get a team together?"

"About a week." He heard Kitten moving around upstairs.

"Let me think about it, get a list together for you. I have been solo or working with the mutants for the last couple years, so I am going to have to check contacts."

"I appreciate it, Vic. With both girls gone, and Junior getting ready to start High School, I feel like I need at least one more job, so we can retire comfortably."

"Face it, Dave, you are going empty nest, hell, Dee is probably going to go nuts in the next few weeks. Have you considered taking her with you? Oil rigs are easy jobs. Usually no problems and she could travel in Europe and stuff while you work.

"Actually thought about that, but I don't want to leave Junior alone this summer."

"Hell, we can watch the kid, if you decide to take her. Kitten is going to have to decide on a school and stuff before we know where we are going anyway."

"I may think about that."

"Listen Dave, I need ta get Kitten off to school this morning. Call me tomorrow, and I will have a list for you."

"Thanks again, Vic, and thank you, for what you have done for Katherine."

"Damn, Dave, I should be thanking you…and I do, EVERY fucking day." He heard him laugh as he hung up.

"Who was that?" She asked as she came into the kitchen.

"Just your Dad, checking up on us." She laughed.

He slid a plate of bacon and eggs across the table to her.

"School or not?" She still wasn't completely recovered from his mistake.

"Yea…Prom tickets go on sale today and I want to get ours." She grinned at him, and both of them chuckled remembering Mystique's reaction to him at the Prom. "I am going to eat lunch at school today so I can get the tickets."

"Fine, but if you don't feel up to it, call me and I will take care of it."

"Yea, right…call you with what."

He tossed a cell phone across the table.

"You know I can't use this in school, I will have to have it turned off." She said.

"I know…but you will have it if you need to call me. I am going to be running errands this morning, and won't be home if you decide you need leave school." He needed to pick up hangers for his suits and the other shipment should be coming in today. The contractor for the pool was due to come look at it this afternoon and he still needed to work on that list for Dave. When the HELL had he become so damned domestic?!

She finished her breakfast and ran to pick up her books for school. He was leaning on the kitchen door frame as she walked by and reached out, pulling her against him.

"See you later…" She said, standing on her tip toes to kiss him goodbye. This is how things were supposed to be. He grinned as he watched her run out the back door.

He finished off his own breakfast and then grabbed the car keys. He headed out the front door, and climbed into the car. He pulled out into traffic and headed for the home store. He remembered they had the hangers he wanted. The girl at the counter looked at him strangely when he put nearly eighty of the hangers up for her to ring up.

"New closet."

"Ahhh." She just smiled, and he could almost see her thinking '_henpecked_.' She had no idea.

Hangers secure, he stopped by the shipping place. Sure enough both the shipments he was waiting for had arrived. He loaded it up in the car and headed back to the house. He hoped this would tide her over until he could get her to one of the good design houses for a real wardrobe. He knew she had been a little upset when he had picked up his Harrods shipment. He hadn't told her about this; it was supposed to be a surprise.

They had to pull the seconds shipment out of the safe…Tiffany as the shipping company was usually a red flag, and he was glad. She had liked the cats so much he had gone ahead and completed the other orders he had waiting with them. She deserved the best, his Kitten, and he was determined she was going to get it.

He was back home before lunch, she wasn't going to be there but he was trying to get into the habit. Her cycles were over, but that didn't mean they couldn't have some fun on her lunch breaks. He carried the boxes up stairs, and the bags of hangers, and put it all on the bed. He would have time to unpack this afternoon, now that he had something decent to hang things on.

He went back downstairs, and into the study. He was pulling up the information for David when he looked over at her desk. SHIT! Her Chemistry book was still sitting on her desk. He knew she had Chemistry after lunch and wanted to make sure she had it. He grabbed the book and headed for the school.

XXXXXXXXX

Her morning had been quiet, which was fine with her. She was standing in line to buy their tickets to the prom. Coach Davis was the faculty advisor who was supervising the ticket sales. She knew he was going to cause a problem, she just hoped he wouldn't be too much of an ass.

"Next." Said one of the students handling the tables.

"I need two tickets." She said.

'That will be thirty dollars and you need to fill out these forms." They handed her the information. She started filling in forms, laughing at certain questions. Guest's Age…oh that was going to be funny, she put down thirty five. There was no need to have the entire school think she was CRAZY after all.

"THIRTY FIVE!" Coach Davis shouted.

"Yes, I think…he might be older than that, I didn't exactly ask when we got married."

He stood there and sputtered…and then let her go, after accepting the information sheet. She wasn't about to tell them how old he really was. She hadn't even told her FRIENDS that.

She ran back to her locker. That had taken most of the lunch period, it was a good thing there were vending machines at the school, and she had grabbed a snack before getting in line. She considered calling Victor and just going home, but she really needed to go to Chemistry class today, she had missed yesterday and the homework had taken a while last night with the distractions, to get caught up.

She opened the locker and started looking for her book. SHIT! Where was it? She was crouched down in her locker when she heard a voice over her head.

"Katherine, we are having a party this weekend, and I would really like you to come." SHIT! She didn't need Josh's shit right now.

"Josh what part of MARRIED don't you understand?" She grumbled up at him, a low almost subsonic growl starting in her throat.

"I don't believe all that shit going around." He had the balls to laugh. She could hear his friends gathered around laughing too.

She stood up suddenly, but his bulk had her trapped against the locker door. He leaned in, like he was going to try to kiss her, when she heard a very loud, very angry, and VERY Victor growl. She looked under the arm pinning her to the door. There he was, seven feet of angry feral husband, eyes black and cold.

"Josh…turning around might be a good idea, RUNNING might be a better one." She said, wondering how the hell she was going to keep Vic from killing the poor kid.

Josh turned, and dropped his arm, allowing her to get back, and close the locker door. Victor was holding her Chemistry book in one hand.

"You left this on your desk." He growled at her.

"Thank you I was looking everywhere for it." She took the book from his hand and he leaned down to give her a quick kiss…he never took his eyes off Josh.

"Get to class while I deal with Romeo here." She looked over at Josh and the ever widening puddle at his feet. She couldn't stop herself from laughing just a little.

"Baby, I think you have dealt with Romeo enough. I'll see you when I get home." He looked down at her, and she watched his eyes fade back to brown.

"Okay…the kid can live; at least he made you laugh." He leaned down and gave her a more thorough kiss, before turning and walking back down the hallway. She couldn't remember when the halls had been this quiet with this many people in them. Amy passed him as she ran toward Katherine. She gave him a big smile and a wave, and he waved back, and that seemed to be some sort of signal that people could start talking again. Coach Davis was walking by, and just stopped staring at Victor as he walked down the hall. The coach looked at her, grinning, and then back at the giant towering over most of the students, and just walked back into the classroom. She had a feeling her troubles with the coach were over.

She and Amy ran quickly to Chemistry class. Josh never showed up, and she heard later that he left and didn't come back the rest of the day. She really hoped he got the message; she didn't want to be responsible for her husband gutting the poor kid.

The rest of the afternoon was fairly uneventful. People kept stopping her in the halls between classes, asking if that had been HIM. Somehow she could hear the capital letters. She just grinned at most of them. For some reason, the entire attitude of the student body and most of the faculty had changed. She thought there might be a difference between the hypothetical knowledge of him and an actual physical encounter. Somehow she just didn't find him that intimidating anymore.

Amy, Terry and Heather followed her home after swim practice. She KNEW they wanted to talk about what had happened at school today.

"Okay, so Victor showed up out of the BLUE and GROWLED at Josh. Josh didn't move, he just pissed all over himself." Amy was giving the play by play to the other two.

"Guys, come on, it wasn't out of the blue, I left my Chem book at home. He brought it to me. Josh had been warned TWICE to leave me alone. I think he got the message this time." She was still giggling at the site of him standing in that puddle. The Big Bad Football goon was afraid of her little old Tom Cat.

"That's just MEAN." Heather was saying.

"What, that I tried to warn him, told him I was married, for Christ's sake, and he still didn't leave me alone, or that my husband showed up and scared the piss out of him."

"That VICTOR had to show up in the first place. You are the idiot that made him have to bring you your Chemistry book." All four girls doubled over in laughter on the back porch.

"I am glad you found something funny." They heard him growl from behind them. They had passed right by him and the contractors they had been laughing so hard.

Kitten just stuck her tongue out at him and all four girls went into the house, and into the kitchen. He hadn't put anything out for dinner so they all started scrounging for snacks.

"So are we going to get to see more of the house than just the living room and kitchen?" Terry asked.

"Sure, Grand Tour time." They all laughed. Poor George had a band trip this afternoon, the baseball team was playing an away game.

The bottom floor was easy study, living room and back porch on one side, the big country kitchen and laundry room on the other side and a big room across the back of the house they hadn't decided what to do with yet. Upstairs were the master suite on one side of the stairs and two large bedrooms on the other side with a bathroom in between. There was a third floor open attic that they hadn't done anything with yet either.

They ended up in the master suite, all piled up on the bed. They were still giggling when Terry looked over at a pile of blue boxes on top of her dresser and the brand new locking wooden jewelry box next to them.

"SHIT!" Was all she said, pointing at the top of the dresser.

"What?" Kat was still laughing about Josh.

"Tiff…Tiff…TIFFANY jewelry boxes!!!!!!!!"

"Ohhhh, it's probably more of Victor's stuff he ordered. Shit we picked up EIGHT fucking boxes of suits last night." She wondered why he had put them on her dresser, but the top of his was full of empty boxes where he had been unpacking. "He's a fucking clothes horse, I swear. She stood up and walked over to his huge walk in closet. It was bursting at the seams, each suit hung exactly one inch apart to allow them to breathe, shirts hung neatly, ties on tie racks. The drawers of his dresser she opened to show them the jeans and shirts and new silk boxers – with a mental note that he was going to be modeling them later – all his loot from his shopping.

"Ummm, Kat…is that why YOUR closet is bursting too…" Terry had opened her closet doors.

"I'll fucking kill him, its not like I have much to fill it up but…." She stopped dead. Terry was down on her knees, kissing her closet floor like it was a shrine.

"Kat if you don't want them can I have the Versachi jeans…they are three hundred dollars, on SALE." Terry was going through her closet, not TOUCHING anything, which for Terry was a huge thing.

"SHIT!" She wasn't sure if she was going to kill him, or throw everyone out and show him just how grateful she was…she was really leaning toward the latter.

Amy and Heather were standing at her dresser, pulling open drawers. There were jeans, nightgowns, lace underwear and bras, T-shirts, STOCKINGS and garter belts for when she wore skirts – she made a mental note to model them for him later – and on top of all of it at least two dozen blue boxes on top of the dresser she was afraid to open now.

They all heard a noise behind them. Heather, Amy and Kat jumped. Terry was in her own little world in the closet. Victor was leaning on the door jam, grinning like a Cheshire cat.

"I see you found my surprise."

"I would say so." He walked across the room and threw himself down on the bed.

"Amy, throw me one of those boxes, would you." Terry came flying out of the closet.

"THROW! You are going to THROW a TIFFANY jewelry box, are you INSANE?"

Amy just looked at their friend and picked up a box and hefted it at Victor. He gestured Kat over to the bed, while Terry hyperventilated behind her.

She climbed up on the bed with her husband, He had situated himself where he was lying on his side and she leaned on him. He the blue box in his hand was long and thin.

"I THINK this is the bracelet," he said as he opened the box. It was white gold with bezel set black diamonds around the circumference every half inch or so. Terry just dropped to her knees next to the bed.

"I don't know if I LOVE you or HATE you, Victor, but I DO know what is going on my wish list for my fucking birthday." Terry said as Kat showed them the bracelet.

The other boxes contained various sets of colored stones or colored diamond jewelry she could wear on a more every day basis than the cats.The three girls finally left, after going through her new clothes and helping her decide what to wear to school tomorrow.

Tomorrow was the last thing on her mind. She wanted to see him in those boxers, NOW!


	7. Chapter 7

Kittens Have Claws, Too.

Sabretooth has found his mate. Does he have the patience to wait for her?

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**

Thanks again to my Co Author and Beta…Lady Mage

Erisah Mae, Contorce, Tankerslady, Kary Lynn Crane, Arden Skysender thanks for the great reviews. Enjoy this chapter I know I did writing it.

For those who don't like mature content...please go find something a little more ummm TAME this is Victor Creed after all.

Chapter 7

He watched her sleep; she was so boneless in her relaxation. They had been married for just under three weeks now, and he was still amazed that he had survived this long. She wouldn't let him kill the jock, and since she seemed to be handling it fairly well, he left it alone. He ran the back of a talon down the curve of her spine, gently caressing the skin. Her soft moan was a nice reward; it sent a surge down his spine and straight to his hips. He was already near bursting with need, but he knew she had a test this morning, and was trying to let her sleep.

He had to admit it, he wasn't trying very hard, as he ran his talon down her back again, gently caressing the swell of her hip with it's sharp tip. She moaned again in her sleep, and the scent of her arousal drifted up to his nostrils. He was beginning to plan how to get her to stay home today, in bed with him, when she slapped his hand.

"Vic...I have a Chemistry test today." She mumbled half asleep.

"Not till after lunch." He whispered against her ear, feeling the shivers his breath sent down her spine.

"VICTOR CREED, I am not failing Chemistry."

"No you are not…we have all the chemistry we are ever going to need right here." She giggled at him, and then slapped his hand again.

"Vic…I need to pass this test today, I need to concentrate. Please, I PROMISE I'll make it up to you later." She rolled onto her back so she could look up at him. She was giving him a pouty look, her lips puckered in a way that was distracting to say the least.

He lifted an eyebrow at her…he knew she would make it up to him, and he was getting very definite ideas on how. Someday he was going to have to tell her just how much he was learning; before her, sex had always been rough, always just him taking what he needed, usually from a very unwilling frail that usually ended up very dead. She had no idea just how much her gentle touches and smiles affected him. This had been the longest he had gone without killing, without drowning in the bloodlust, and deep down he was starting to feel something he was trying to deny - fear.

She reached up and caressed the side of his face, he leaned his cheek into her hand, marking her with his scent.

"Are you alright?" She asked.

"Yea, Kitten, just wondering how much longer I can keep the blood need at bay."

"Vic, it's Friday, we can go up out to Dad's and use the cabin, maybe go hunting this weekend. We need to check on Mom and JR anyway."

"Hunting?"

"Vic, you aren't the only one with blood needs…Dad used to take me hunting all the time, at least once a month, so I could get a kill in."

"Not a bad idea, Kitten, but no rabbits."

"Right, no rabbits." Just then they both jumped as the alarm went off on the nightstand.

She leaned up and kissed him. "That's my cue."

He just growled as she climbed out of bed and padded to the bathroom naked. To hell with this, he was at least getting a quickie in the shower. He followed her into the bathroom.

"VICTOR!" She squealed at him as he climbed into the shower with her. He turned her around and picked her up, kissing her hard, before letting her body slide down his, She wrapped her legs around his waist and he leaned her back against the wall, and seated himself with one smooth thrust.

"Quit complainin'" he growled at her, tracing his lips down the side of her neck as he set a fast demanding rhythm. He heard her moans as he slowly let himself lose control. She was his wife, his mate and he NEEDED her.

"VICTOR!!!" This time it was demanding, her claws sunk into his shoulders, her legs wrapped tight around him, urging him deeper and faster. He growled against her lips as he captured them, her scream of release swallowed by the kiss. That scream was all it took and he let himself tumble over that edge, spilling himself deep inside her.

He was still buried deep inside her, and just turned so that she was under the stream of water from the shower. "Want me to wash your hair." He grinned.

"No, you pig, I want to get my shower so I can get to school…you are so going to pay for that later…." She grinned at him

"PIG…PIG MY ASS!" He snarled at her. "That's Sabretooth, missy and don't you forget it." He slapped her naked ass as he climbed out of the tub. He had things to do today anyway.

She came out of the bathroom, a towel wrapped around her body and one wrapped turban style around her head. She gave him a mock glare, and he could smell she was still very aroused. He just leered at her, watching her as she went through the closet, looking for something to wear.

"Are you fixing breakfast or am I eating Pop Tarts again?" She said.

He had a sudden flash of insight. He was spoiling her way too much, not that he wasn't enjoying it, but he needed to get some control back and quick.

"Fix your own damned breakfast; I have work to do this morning." He snarled as he pulled on a pair of slacks and tucked in the tailored shirt. He actually did have some work to do, Al had asked him to come down and endorse him for his reelection bid as Judge. Then he had some stuff to do downtown, he was looking into purchasing a couple more properties in town. There were a couple old warehouses that would make ideal storage for some items he wanted close but not in the house.

She stuck her tongue out at him as she pulled a blouse on over her head. He considered throwing her on the bed and teaching her a lesson in submission, but decided he had other fish to fry this morning. She would get a good lesson later, when she got home. She finished dressing and ran out the door. He heard her downstairs, in the kitchen, and grinned. She was so easy – just a little effort on his part and she was in line. He finished tying his tie and pulled on the jacket to his suit. His hair was pulled back in a simple tie, and he decided he didn't need a shave this morning. They were going hunting this evening.

He walked downstairs and into the study. She was already gone. He was going to have to remind her he wanted his good bye kiss in the morning. He could smell sausage and eggs from the kitchen and thought she might have actually cooked HIM breakfast. He grinned at the thought. Just a little effort and she was coming along as an ideal mate.

He walked into the kitchen and just stood in shock for a second, he wasn't sure if he should roar in anger or laughter. Sitting on the table was a big metal bowl with sausage and eggs, including shells, all scrambled up. Taped to the outside of the bowl were the words…FOR THE TOM CAT. The Pop Tart package was lying next to it, empty, and so was the box. He started to throw the contents of the bowl in the trash, but a thought struck him. He opened the refrigerator – yep she had used the LAST of the breakfast foods to make that mess. He sat down and started picking out egg shells. She would definitely get a good lesson tonight.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

She laughed all morning about the 'breakfast' she had left him. Heather kept telling her how mean she had been, but she kept trying to tell them how mean he had been to her. Even Amy wasn't buying it.

"Kat, he spoils you rotten, the least you could do is be NICE."

"He was being a jerk."

"He was being BUSY, being an ADULT – HELLO…he's not in high school with us, remember. It's not his job to wait on you hand and foot."

Even George was glaring at her. Ok, so maybe she had been a bit out of line – a lot out of line. She'd make it up to him later. She went home for lunch hoping he would be there so she could apologize but he was gone. The mess from the morning was cleaned up, and she made herself a quick sandwich. She hoped he'd pull up, and stayed home as long as she could, but she ended up having to run back to school, and barely made it to her Chemistry class before the second bell rang.

_Damn him_. She thought as she stared at the test in front of her. She had studied all week for this test, and now, all she could think about was how she wanted to see him, to let him know she was sorry. She stared at the same question for five minutes before shaking her head and trying to concentrate. At least Josh was finally leaving her alone, he had been avoiding her since the book incident, as everyone was calling it, and she hoped he hadn't been too embarrassed by Victor.

She turned in her test, finally and prayed she answered everything correctly. She SHOULD have done fine, but with feeling guilty about what she had done to Vic this morning, she just wasn't sure. She almost wished Monday wasn't Teacher In-Service day, but a three day weekend wouldn't hurt her feelings any.

Heather caught her on her way to the fence.

"Hey don't forget, Sunday, my house, GIRLS only, leave Victor at home."

"Isn't George invited…?"

"As I said, Girls only." The two girls laughed, George loved it that all of their parents considered him one of the girls.

She walked through the fence and around to the front of the house. The car still wasn't back yet. She climbed the steps and opened the front door with her key. Maybe a nice dinner would make up for breakfast. She decided to go upstairs and pack her hunting clothes, basically jeans and dark colored long sleeved T shirts, and her good hiking boots. She looked for his hunting gear but didn't see it anywhere. She picked up her bag and took it downstairs. She set it by the door, and then went into the kitchen. He had put out some pork chops to thaw in the fridge, so she started cooking dinner.

She set the table, using the nice plates and good silverware; she even set a beer on the table for him, so that he could have it with dinner. She waited – and waited. She called her mom to see if he had already gone to the cabin, but Diane hadn't seen him. He hadn't told her what he planned on doing today so she didn't know where to call, to look for him. She was starting to get worried. She put the platter of chops in the oven to keep warm, and covered everything else and put it back on the stove, she could reheat it when he got home. She put the bottle of beer back in the fridge so it would be cold when he got home.

"Where the hell are you?" She whispered out loud. She looked up at the clock, it was nearly six and he wasn't home yet. She had been home for almost three hours. She started pacing the floors, walking from room to room, looking out the front window every time she heard a car, to see if he had pulled into the driveway. He couldn't be that mad about her little prank this morning.

Finally she heard his key in the door. She was in the kitchen, so she grabbed the platter out of the oven and made sure they were still warm. She put the rest of the dishes on the table, and pulled the beer out and set it on the table. She could hear him grumbling in the front hall, and she stepped out of the kitchen door to see if he was alright.

She sucked in a breath at the sight of him. She had never seen him dressed up like that. He was in a dark grey suit, with matching tie, light grey shirt, and dress shoes. His hair was pulled back, he hadn't shaved this morning and he was a little scruffy, but she thought it was the most beautiful sight she had ever seen, well next to him naked. He was setting down a thick leather briefcase next to her bag by the door.

"I'm sorry." She whispered. He looked up at her and smiled

"For what?"

"Breakfast."

He chuckled. "Hell, Kitten, I forgot about that a long time ago."

She ran up to him and he scooped her up against his chest. "Miss me?" He whispered against her ear.

She just nodded; she knew he could smell her tears. She had missed him, had been afraid he would just go off and leave her here with no warning. She didn't want to let him know she doubted him, she knew it would make him angry.

"Kitten, shhhh, it is okay." He carried her into the living room and sat on the couch with her in his lap.

"I hope I did okay on the test, all I could think about was how mad you were this morning." She leaned her head on his shoulder.

"Kitten, you ain't SEEN mad yet, trust me. If I get mad you will KNOW it. Now what smells so good?"

"Dinner's on." She said softly.

"I ain't talkin about dinner." He grinned at her.

"Vic, please…" She really had worked hard on dinner.

"Ok, let's eat."

They sat down in the kitchen to eat.

"I went looking for your hunting gear, I couldn't find it." She said as he opened his beer.

"It's in the car. I packed this morning after you left for school."

"Oh…I thought you might have forgotten…never mind, I'm being an idiot."

He slammed the beer bottle down on the table. "WHAT THE FUCK?!"

She jumped.

"Who the fuck said you are an idiot?"

"No one…I…" She was trying not to cry again.

"Kitten, tell me what the fuck is going on. I am tired, I ain't in the mood to try to decipher frail speak so please, plain English…WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG!"

"I just thought you were upset…and forgot about the hunting trip and…"

"Kitten, the best hunting is at night, sun still isn't down yet, at least another hour or so of daylight and twilight. There's no way in fucking hell I would forget that YOU wanted to go hunting with me. FUCK get blood lust out of the way and have you handy, that's my idea of paradise at the moment – as long as you aren't pullin this frail tears crap."

She smiled at him. They both put their plates in the dishwasher and he walked out to the entry hall and grabbed her bag.

"You comin?"

"Yeah." She ran to the front door. He slipped an arm around her waist.

"Kitten, you are going ta have ta trust me." He said, as she leaned against his chest.

"I do."

They walked out to the car, his arm around her waist. She opened the passenger door while he put her bag in the trunk. He was still in the suit he had worn today. Was he going hunting in that?

The drive out to her parents' house was quiet. She hoped that the hunting trip would take care of this nervousness, the restlessness she had been feeling. Usually a hunting trip helped. She knew Vic had been feeling restless, too, and hoped this would help.

They pulled into the driveway, JR was on the front porch with her mom.

"I see you found him?" Diane said as they got out of the car.

"Yea…he was just late for dinner." She said to her mom.

Diane came down from the porch and gave her a hug. "How are things going?"

"Pretty good, I told you we wanted to borrow the cabin this weekend. Want to get some hunting in."

"Sure. It'll be nice having someone here this weekend. Am I cooking breakfast in the morning or are you two sleeping in."

"MOM!"

"Breakfast…" Victor said. "I doubt there will be much sleep. If we take down anything big, we'll split the meat."

"Sounds good." She waved as they picked up their bags and followed the path to the cabin.

They didn't say much on the way to the cabin. He opened the door and took his bag straight back to the bedroom.

"Going to get changed…want ta join me?"

She grinned at him and followed him. Not much had changed, since their first night, He had changed the bed before he left but that was about it. Her mom must have gotten the dress out of the sink in the kitchen. She pulled her white T shirt over her head, and pulled one of the dark long sleeved shirts from her bag.

"You know we have time before it gets dark…" He said as he slipped his bare arms around her chest. She turned in his arms and snuggled against his chest, his hands slipping up and down her bare back. She laced her fingers through the down on his chest. They just stood there, neither one of them wanting to move, his light scraping of his claws along her back just building the anticipation.

"Want to put a bet on the hunt?" She asked, she knew exactly what she wanted.

"What kind of bet?"

"Let's go after deer, whoever gets the killing blow, gets to do whatever they want to the loser." She watched the grin spread across his face.

"Darlin' neither one of us are losers on that bet."

"Yea…but the loser CAN'T say no to the winner for twenty four hours."

"Can't…hrmmm, that could be dangerous."

"For who…?"

"You."

"Is it a bet?"

"Hell yes. Shake?"

"Huh uhhnn…no crossed fingers, no way out…kiss on it."

"God, Kitten, I love the way you think." He leaned down, kissing her gently. "Loser has to do whatever the winner wants for 24 hours." He was grinning as he lifted his head from hers.

"Good…now I am going to change into my hunting gear…" She grinned back at him, grabbing her bag and shirt and walking into the bathroom, she closed the door, grinning. She had managed to pack a secret weapon for this hunting trip, she just hoped it worked.

XXXXXXXXXXX

He pulled his leathers out of the bag. He pulled on the pants, lacing up the double flap, he pulled on the long leather tunic, and pulled the lacings on the sleeves that pulled them tight on the arms, wrapping the thongs around the wrist and tying them off. The pants tucked into his moccasin style boots, he pulled the lacings tight on the boots and pulled his skinning knife out and slipped it into the slot on his right boot. He didn't like to SKIN animal prey with his claws, you tore up the hide that way.

He could hear her in the bathroom, and grinned this was going to be a fun night. He needed to see just how well she could hunt, could move in the dark, how much she had learned about stealth and tracking. If she was going to hunt with him on a regular basis, he needed to make sure she wouldn't scare the prey. He knew he would be silent, deadly, and most of all efficient. She was the unknown element in this hunt.

He was lounging on the couch waiting for her to come out of the bedroom. When she did he just stared - the top wasn't bad, just a clingy T shirt with long sleeves, but those damned pants. Leather, skintight leather, well worn, not shiny treated leather, but handmade, hand dyed black leather pants. He just shook his head; they were not going to get any hunting done if he kept looking at those pants. He made his eyes travel down to her feet. Her boots were also handmade, moccasin style like his, simple, silent, and easy to move in. He nodded in approval. She knew SOMETHING about hunting.

"Let's go. Moonlight's a-wasting." She grinned at him. He stood up and led the way out of the cabin.

"Stay close. You've been out with your dad before so you know our hand signals -right?" He said as they moved out into the moonlight.

"Yes, Victor, I HAVE done this before."

He took a quick scent. The scent of the herd was faint; they'd been nearby this morning so it shouldn't be that difficult to track them. He grinned, if she was going to hunt with a Sabretooth, she needed to know how to keep up. He jumped up into the trees, taking off, jumping from tree to tree, not wanting to leave any tracks on the ground, no spore, no scent to scare the prey. He looked behind him but didn't see any sign of her. He almost slowed down, he couldn't hear her. Her scent was close, but there was no sign of movement, no sound of her passage behind him, and then he got a strong scent. She was close, very close.

He felt something brush the back of his neck. He looked up – she was grinning at him from the branch above him.

She signaled him to keep moving…and even included the signal he and Dave had developed for a teasing _get a move on old man_…he usually used it on Dave – she was using it on HIM. He growled softly, he was going to show HER who was an old man. He set a grueling pace, reaching the spot where the herd was grazing in the moonlight. He watched; wanting to decide what would be the best target.

She was right there, on the branch behind him, they sat there, motionless, for hours as they watched the herd. Finally he glanced back, and she signaled an older doe, one with no fawn, she was still young enough for the meat to be worth eating, but hadn't been bred this season, which was a good indicator that she was considered a liability to the herd. Like the predator she was, Kitten had found the best target, the one that culling would help strengthen the herd for later hunting. He nodded, the target was a good one, and she had proven her instincts, he almost thought about letting her take the kill, but then he remembered the bet.

He started out, moving along the trees before dropping down to the ground, downwind of the herd. He didn't want to spook them, not yet. He felt her drop down behind him, her silence nearly as skilled as his. He pointed to their doe, standing on the outside of the herd, and they watched again, as the other does in the herd butted and pushed her further and further to the outside. Yep – she'd make good meat for the freezer, and a nice hide to start replacing his leathers with…they STILL smelled like the damned river. He signaled Kitten to take to the right, he'd flank to the left.

They moved in, slowly, staying where the herd wouldn't scent them. He hadn't even thought about a gun, or anything that would make it easier. He always killed with his hands, his claws and his fangs; he had just assumed Kitten did too. He looked over at his partner. She was just slightly ahead of him and he watched her moving, silent, she slipped into a patch of moonlight and he was stunned. He didn't know leather could cling like that, he knew she had a nice ass, but damn – she was going to have to wear those pants…WHAT THE FUCK!

She had taken off at a run, spooking the herd and effectively separating the doe she was after. She made a running leap, landing on its back, sinking her claws into one side of its thick neck and slicing through to the other side. It was dead before it hit the ground. He just watched, she was GOOD – effective, silent, and damned sexy, especially covered in blood from her kill. He walked toward her, a deep growl resonating through the clearing. She looked up at him, claws dripping blood, fangs out, ready to defend her kill from him.

"Damn, Kitten…good job." He looked around but the herd was gone. At least one of them managed to get a blood bath. He shuddered, he wanted to feel hot blood spraying on his face, see the life drain out of his prey's eyes as he ripped into them with his talons. He shook his head. He just growled, and advanced on her. It was time to begin teaching her to fight, and over her kill, when her instincts were raging was a good way to start. She didn't back down, she crouched low, claws out, a soft threatening growl coming low from her throat.

He could see it in her eyes, this was her kill, fair and square; he had no right to try to take it from her. She crouched ready to spring at him, but the sudden yip of a wild dog caused them both to look up. She was going to have to defend her prey all night if they didn't get it back to the house.

"Kitten, let's get this back to the cabin…" He felt his eyes drain back to their normal soft brown and she began to relax. He was her mate, not after her kill. She stood up and looked down at the carcass on the ground.

"You're cleaning it." She smiled at him.

"You killed it, you clean it." He growled back.

"Huh unh…bet remember, you can't say No, not for twenty four hours."

He growled…and reached down, grabbing the carcass by the feet and throwing it over his shoulders. _Couldn't say No for twenty four hours, what the fuck had he gotten himself into. She wanted something, wanted to ask for something_. The day that she realized she didn't have to ASK for anything, that he'd give it to her, would be the day he was in a world of hurt. He just prayed she would be much older when she realized just how tightly he was wrapped around her little finger.

"Anything else."

"That's it for now." He could see a very mischievous sparkle in her eye, even in the moonlight. He almost groaned. She was up to something, he just knew it.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

He was good at cleaning game. By the time the sun came up he had it ready to rough butcher. They split the meat, left their half in the freezer in the cabin to pick up later, and went up to the house for breakfast. Victor was carrying her mom's half of the deer.

Diane just looked at them and pointed to the freezer in the kitchen. "You two are eating outside. You are not tracking that mess in my house."

They laughed and she fixed them plates and brought them out on the back porch.

"I take it you managed to actually get some hunting done last night."

"MOM…!"

"Kitten needed ta hunt." Was all that Victor said. Diane just looked at him, a knowing look on her face.

"Well, you are both welcome to clean up here and get some rest…Victor a friend of yours called, said he would be in town Sunday morning."

"What friend?" He looked up from his food.

"Said his name was Raven…?"

"Ohh…okay." Katherine's stomach dropped. The woman from the phone, the shapeshifter was coming to visit. She shook her head; she wasn't going to think about that…she had twenty four hours of Victor all to herself. She needed to plan how she was going to do this.

"Mom, I really want to get home and clean up…" She said.

"Okay…JR and I are fine, I heard from your dad the other day, and everything is quiet on the rig."

"Glad to hear it."

She looked over at Victor and grinned. "You coming?" She smiled. She walked back toward the cabin. She heard him following her.

"We could clean up here…You don't want to get blood in the car."

"That's what drop cloths are for…besides we need to get this meat home, and I want to soak in the tub."

He just grumbled and loaded the half frozen meat into a burlap sack. She knew he didn't like the terms of their bet – she just hoped he changed his mind later. She threw a piece of burlap over the car seat and got in. He loaded their gear and the meat in the trunk and climbed into the driver's seat.

"Home, huh?"

"Yep."

He growled low but drove straight home. She opened the door for him, and helped get the gear and meat into the house.

"I'm getting a bath." She said as she headed for the stairs.

"You aren't going to help with this meat?"

"No." He grumbled and growled again, but went back to putting things away. She needed the time to plan – there was something she had wanted to try, but he had never allowed her to do. She ran a hot bath, stripping off the blood soaked shirt and leather pants. She would wait for them to dry, then a good scrape and air, and re oil and they would be fine. Her dad had taught her a lot about taking care of her leathers, how to tan the hides, sew them together, dye them, take care of them…this was her second pair of pants, she still hadn't made a shirt, but from the look of Victor's she would wait, the next few hides would be his.

The heat of the water relaxed her, but she was still tingling in anticipation. She knew he wouldn't take long with the chores in the kitchen and she wanted to be ready when he came upstairs. She climbed out of the tub and slipped a silk bathrobe on over her. She was lounging on the bed when he came up the stairs.

"Kitten, this is gettin old. I'm tired; I just want to get some sleep."

"You need to get cleaned up first."

"I was planning on it. He started to unlace the sleeves of his tunic. She shook her head. "What?"

"Slowly, I want to watch." He glared at her and started to rip at the ties, she just shook her head. "Are you backing out on our bet this quickly?"

He growled at her, but took his time getting out of the shirt. The blood had soaked through the shirt where he had carried the deer and coated his back and chest. She wanted to lick it off, but decided against it.

"Happy, can I get a shower now."

"Nope." He growled louder. "Keep going."

He unlaced the boots, slipping them off, one foot at a time, and then began to unlace the ties on his pants. She knew he had to be angry, he wasn't even the least aroused, but that would change. He started to slip the pants down his hips, and she watched, mesmerized. He really didn't have any clue just how beautiful he was, always when they were together, it was him touching her, caressing her, she rarely was able to look at, to touch his body, almost as if he were ashamed of it. He looked up at her, catching her gaze as the pants slid to the floor and he stepped out. Anger blazed in his eyes, she didn't want him angry, but for now it would do.

"Ok you can get your shower now."

"Thanks for your fucking permission." He stormed into the bathroom his hand on the door to close it.

"But leave the door open."

"WHAT."

"I want to WATCH."

"SHIT!" Was all he said as he climbed into the tub. He noticed the shower curtain was missing. "KITTEN!!"

"I told you I want to watch."

He just glared at her, and turned his back, turning on the water full steam, fogging the bathroom as he scrubbed the dried blood off of him. She watched him moving, graceful, even with something as simple as a shower. She climbed off of the bed and picked up the towel she had put on the chest at the foot. She knew there was a risk with this next part, he could always back out, refuse to go along with the bet, and as mad as he was, reprisals were definitely a possibility, but from what some of her friends had said, she thought it just might be worth the risk.

"WHERE ARE THE FUCKING TOWELS!?" He roared.

"Out here." He came out of the bathroom surrounded by a billow of steam.

"Give me a fucking towel, Kitten."

"Nope."

"WHAT…I am dripping on the damned floor. Give me a towel.

"Nope, you come here." She gave him a little smile.

"You are going to think come here." He growled at her.

"Are you backing out…?"

"It wasn't fair, you distracted me."

"I did not. It was a fair kill, and you know it…now are you backing out of the bet like a weasel, or are you going to give me my twenty four hours."

He growled, but walked to the bed. She had a towel on the floor next to the bed and one in her hands.

"Put your hands on the canopy rail."

"WHAT!?"

"Just DO it. Two rules; your hands never leave the rail, and you can't say No."

"I don't know what game you are playing, but I don't like it."

"You weaseling out?"

He growled again, but reached up to the top of the bed and gripped the iron rail for the canopy. She took the towel in her hands and began to dry his back, and then down the backs of his ass and legs. He was facing the bed, with her behind him; she followed the path of the towel with her hands, marveling at the firm body under her hands. She still didn't know what exactly he thought he needed to be ashamed of.

She reached between his legs, gently nudging him to spread them out as she dried up the inside of his thighs, and down the front of his legs, reaching in from behind him. She thought she heard a slight moan out of his lips, but wasn't sure. She walked around him and climbed up onto the bed. She was just the right height standing to dry his hair with the towel, wipe the beads of water…or sweat from his face, down his neck, and then up his outstretched arms. She brought the towel back down the undersides of his arms, and began to dry his broad chest, careful to keep herself just to drying him. She didn't look down, but she could feel him beginning to get interested in her little game against her leg.

She gently dried his stomach and hips, before reaching the towel down to dry his more intimate areas. He grabbed her hand and she glared at him.

"You broke a rule." She said.

"I don't know what you are playing at, Kitten, but…" She looked him in the eye, and he slowly reached up, grabbing the rail again. She quickly finished drying him off, and then took the damp towel to the bathroom. She left him standing there a few minutes while she folded it neatly and hung it on the rack, taking her time. She kept glancing over her shoulders at his outstretched form. She waited, knowing it was coming, he would get impatient.

"KITTEN!" He roared. Her Tom Cat was never docile, by any means.

"Just putting the towel up."

"Can I put my arms down now?"

"Nope." He growled.

She walked around to the other side of the bed and climbed on, just looking at him. He was somewhere between angry and amused, which was better than just angry, and boded well for what she wanted to do.

She crawled across the bed, the tie of the robe slipping open; she watched his eyes travel down the narrow expanse of exposed skin, his body reacting, just the way she wanted. She knelt in front of him on the bed, her eyes traveling over his body, starting at the top, where his hands gripped the rail, claws sheathed, but strong, firm; she could almost see the iron trying to bend under them. Down his arms, corded muscle taunt, struggling to obey what she asked him to do. His face, anger fading, and something just as fierce filling its void, passion, need.

His chest was tense, and down his firm stomach, past his now straining erection, down his firm legs to his feet planted solidly on the floor. She stood on the bed, eye to eye with him, and leaned in, gently kissing him on the lips. She felt him let go of the rail and glared at him.

"You let go, I quit." He moaned, but gripped the rail even tighter. She kissed him again, and he managed to grab control of her mouth, demanding she give him what he wanted. She pulled back, breathless. His eyes were filled with passion now, she knew he would try to seize control soon, bet or no bet, but she needed to make him understand just how important this was to her. In the weeks they had been together, he rarely let her touch him, had never let her touch him; caress him, without him being in complete control. This morning, she wanted to touch him, to give back some of what he had given her.

"Victor, don't let go of the rail. I want to touch you, and you can't say no." She whispered it against his ear, letting her breath caress the fine hairs under the lobe. She felt him tremble, watched the tendons in his arms tense up even more as he gripped the rail over their heads. He just nodded, and she gently traced her lips down his neck. She trailed her fingers up his arms, and back down following the path she had used with the towel. Her fingers brushed along his shoulders, followed by her lips, and she felt his soft breath, if he had been anyone else she would have called it a sigh. Her hands brushed lower, across the expanse of his chest, feeling the contours of the muscles in stark relief below the down covered flesh. Her lips followed, brushing against the already firm nipples, her tongue gently brushing against each one as his hips bucked, straining to reach her. She smiled against his chest, before kneeling on the bed, her fingers trailing down his stomach, down the outside of his hips, before continuing their exploration, down his long muscled legs.

She reached down as far as she could from her kneeling position, and then sat down on the bed, her legs open, her toes caressing the outside of his calves. In this position she was given a complete and unobstructed view of her target. She heard what sounded like a strangled moan from above her, as she gently reached out a finger and traced the length of him, starting at the base, and ending with a single drop of moisture on the tip of her finger. She looked up at him as she slipped her finger into her mouth, taking her first taste of him. This time, it was more like a strangled whimper out of his mouth. She looked him straight in the eye, before following the path of her finger with her tongue.

That time it was a roar, her name came bursting out of his mouth. "KATHERINE!"

She stopped at the tip, waiting for him to look back down at her. Finally her stillness captured his attention. The look of passion filled agony on his face spurred her on. She trailed her tongue up him again, this time taking the tip into her mouth. She licked it gently, one hand firmly around his base, holding him so she was able to control what happened. She could feel him throbbing in her hand and in her mouth. She took as much of him into her mouth as she could and then slowly trailed her lips and tongue back up and down his shaft, teasing him as she slowly reached the tip again. The sound of metal snapping stopped her. She lifted her head and looked up. The rail had snapped in two. His eyes were blazing black, almost out of control; she knew her time was up.

She stood up and slipped the robe off, and looked him in the eye.

"You can let go now." She smiled.

He reached out, crushing her against his chest, as he took them both to the mattress. He was inside her in one thrust, her legs wrapped around his hips. He didn't warn her, just exploded deep inside her, his head buried against her hair. Their healing factors allowed them to just keep going, and it was several hours before they lay spent in each other's arms.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

He was still stunned. In all of his years, he had NEVER **EVER **allowed anyone to do that. It wasn't that he had been afraid, hell NO, he just never trusted anyone, especially not a frail, that much – until now. He still didn't understand it. She had WANTED to do that, had set him up so that he wouldn't say no to her, just for that. She was lying on his chest, purring contentedly. He knew she was awake; her fingers were gently stroking his chest. He was trying to decide if he should tell her just how much she had surprised him.

"So what should we do the rest of the day?" She said teasingly. "More of the same?"

"Damn it, I couldn't survive more of the same." He had to laugh.

"Oh, come on, was it that bad. I mean Dana gave me a few pointers, so I wasn't totally in the dark."

"Who the fuck is Dana, and why the FUCK are you talking to her about THAT."

"She's a friend…and it came up."

"How the hell did our sex life just COME UP?"

"We were talking in English class the other day…she was talking about her boyfriend and that she envied me because I didn't have to worry about going all the way, the closest she could get was…well anyway…I told her that I hadn't done that to you yet, and she gave me some tips."

"Do girls really talk about that shit?" She had stunned him again.

"Yeah…we do."

"Why didn't…why did…you could have talked to ME."

"Hey…you are NOT a girl…sometimes, I just need my girlfriends to talk to, you know."

He tightened his arm around her. Hell…it wasn't like the whole damned school didn't know they were married and having sex. Shit. He looked up at the ruined canopy…he wondered if they came in adamantium.

"Kitten, I just - if you tell anyone what I am about to say, I will ring your neck – that was the first time that…anyone has done that to me."

She sat up, looking down at him. "What?"

"It's a trust thing, okay. I just ain't ever trusted anyone with TEETH down there."

"I wouldn't bite…"

"Kitten, I…trust you…"

"That was really your first…?"

"Yeah…"

"Oh…any other firsts I should know about?"

"Now that you mention it…there have been a few."

"Wait a minute, you are over a century old, and I have been your first in some things…wow." He could tell she didn't know if she should laugh or be serious.

"I ain't exactly been really…popular with the ladies. Hell…I didn't want to have to tell you this crap." He sat up, wiping his hands over his face, but they didn't wipe away the old memories.

"What crap?"

"You've heard me and your dad talk. You know how…violent my life has been."

"Yeah."

"All of my life has been like that."

"Huhh?"

"Kitten…Katherine; I didn't want you to know about this part of me; not now, not yet."

"What are you talking about Victor?"

"You thought I would force you, the first night, when your cycles started…"

"I didn't know what to think then…I know better now."

"No you don't…that's just it. The ONLY reason I wouldn't have…is it was you. Rape is…normal for me. This…with you…I am playing it by ear."

"What do you mean – normal?"

"I wouldn't hurt you…but that doesn't mean I haven't hurt others. Katherine…maybe I need to leave. You don't need this.

"WHOA…you are not going anywhere."

"What do you know about what I do? What I am? What I am capable of?"

"I know what Dad has said…that you are an assassin, murder for hire, and generally all around not a nice guy, well to anyone but us, and the people you trust. I worry every day that you will not be here when I come home, that someone who is hunting you has found you. I am taking one day at a time. I love you."

"Shit…I didn't know you knew that much."

"Vic, you're my mate…my husband, you have been my parents' friend for years, my DAD worked for you…and believe me…when he started teaching me to hunt, and we went out alone…he told me things, things I think he didn't want Mom to know about you…but things he thought I needed to know, and he was right. I needed to know…to know what I was getting into."

"Katherine…when the fuck did you grow up."

She laughed. "Oh I don't know when I was about fourteen…and heard you and my Dad arguing about what I could do…I think I realized then you had more say in my life than they did."

He just shook his head.

"Can we get back to the firsts thing…" She wasn't going to let it go. She was leaning back on a stack of pillows, sheet around her waist and nothing else on. He didn't want to talk…but she wasn't letting go.

"Fine…you asked what I meant by normal. I…umm…have had ONE willing woman before you, and she liked things rough…very rough."

"In over one hundred years, you've never had a girlfriend."

"Kitten, I ain't needed frails for shit. I wanted sex; I took it, usually along with their life. That's what I am. What I have always been."

"No, Victor, that's what you were…but not who you are." He looked at her, trust in her eyes. He didn't know if he would be able to keep it. Would she be able to trust him, if she ever saw the monster that he truly was.

"Kitten, you are my first WIFE…the first woman I gave a crap about, in bed or out. The first time I even felt a woman climax was with you. The first time I ever slept with a woman in my arms was with you. You were the first baby I ever held, without snapping its neck, the first frail - kid - girl - woman…I ever wanted to protect, even from myself."

"I almost ran…that night. Called someone I knew could be the kind of man you deserve, but I didn't have time…didn't have the strength. I couldn't leave you…I couldn't protect you from this, from me. I wouldn't blame you if you threw my ass out."

"Why would I do that?"

"I am a fucking monster, Katherine…and you don't need that."

"YOU are my FUCKING MATE! I NEED YOU!!!" She was sitting up, her hands on either side of his face holding him so that he couldn't turn away. "I am going to say this one more time, Victor Creed; I love you, just as you are. I may not be as old, or as skilled, or even as wild as you are, but I am like you…and you are the only one who makes me whole." She gently kissed him. His arms snaked around her, crushing her against him. He didn't know where this woman came from, sometimes she was hidden inside the child, but when she came out, when she was here, she made him believe anything was possible.

"Now then, I have one more question…" The mischief was back in her eyes. He grinned.

"What?"

"Heather is having a girls only slumber party Sunday night…can I go?"

He burst out laughing…and then stopped. THAT's what the whole thing had been about. She wanted to go to the fucking slumber party.

"Just remember you can't say no…"

"Fine…but I get to wear you out first."

"OKAY!" She laughed. He rolled her under him, kissing her. The kid was fun, made him laugh, and he never wanted her to lose that fun spirit. She was growing up, becoming the woman that he wanted for the rest of his life, but he was going to enjoy the girl while he could.


	8. Chapter 8

Kittens Have Claws, Too.

Sabretooth has found his mate. Does he have the patience to wait for her?

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**

Thanks again to my Co Author and Beta…Lady Mage Thanks to my reviewers for all the great reviews...for those who DON'T like to see Victor get a little bit of Crow Pie in the face...this chapter is NOT for you...Mature Content or as mature as ten seventeen year old "girls" at a slumber party can be...with parents and husbands eavesdropping.

Chapter 8

It was late Sunday morning when she opened her eyes. He had been true to his word and she was worn out. The scent of coffee, bacon and – waffles wafted up the stairs. She climbed out of bed, moaning as her muscles protested. Even with her healing factor, she was sore. She grabbed one of his T shirts and pulled on a pair of shorts.

She opened the bedroom door and headed down the stairs. She stood in the kitchen doorway watching him; he turned and grinned at her. She grabbed a plate, and began to pile it up. She definitely needed to refuel after last night.

"So, where's this slumber party? At Heather's house, you said?"

"Yeah…but its Girls Only."

"George will be there, too, though, won't he?"

"As I said: Girls Only." He gave her a low growl.

They were arguing about George being one of the girls when the doorbell rang.

"Kitten, could you…?"

"Got it."

She walked to the entry hall. She could see a shadow on the door windows but couldn't make out any details in the frosted glass. She opened the door slowly. Standing there was a young girl, about her own age. Her dark auburn hair hung down her back, with two white streaks in the front, parted on either side of her pretty face.

"Ah'm lookin for Victor Creed." She said, her soft southern drawl setting off alarm bells in Kat's head; something wasn't right here.

"Who are you?"

"Jest tell him its tha Rogue."

"He's not here."

"Who're you?" She leaned her weight onto one leg, one hand on her hip. The movements seemed almost wrong for the girl standing in front of her, too mature, too sure.

"My name's Katherine…"

"Kitten, who's at the fucking door?"

The girl's skin suddenly turned almost liquid, and then flowed into a dark blue. Her eyes faded from a dark brown to a bright yellow - slit like a cat's. Her hair shortened and brightened to a nearly crayon red.

"It's Mystique, Snaggletooth." The woman said, loud enough for him to hear.

"Let her in, Kitten. I've been expectin' her."

This was Mystique? Shit. She watched the other woman move past her through the door. This was his 'friend?'

"I'm in the kitchen, Myst." He said. The woman grinned at Kat, her white teeth stark contrast to her blue skin.

"Close the door, Sweetness; you're letting the flies in." Her voice was dripping sarcasm. Kat watched her give her a once over glance, and made it obvious she was returning the favor.

"I don't know if that is a problem. You look like you could use a few flies? Hungry?" Kat closed the door, and turned toward the kitchen. A blue hand gripped her arm, and she was slammed against a wall.

"Watch it, GIRLIE; you don't know who you are -" Victor's hand came around the blue woman's neck, his claws almost drawing blood.

"Unless I tell you to, you touch her again, and I will KILL you Myst."

"She must be REALLY good in bed, Tooth." Mystique tried to purr, but her voice came out a sarcastic croak.

"MYSTIQUE!" Kitten wondered if her lips would turn flesh-colored when her lungs lacked oxygen like her own should turn blue.

"Alright. You invited me." Her blue lips croaked.

Mystique let go of Kat, and Victor released the blue woman's neck.

"Breakfast is ready, Kitten. Let me and Bluebutt here have a chat."

"Want me to fix your plate."

"Kitten, after the last time you fixed me breakfast…I'll fix my own." She stuck her tongue out at him, and turned to the kitchen. They went into the study, and he turned on the radio. They were talking low, and with the radio she couldn't hear what they were saying. Damn it.

She sat down at her plate, and finished her breakfast. She really wanted to know what was going on in that study.

XXXXXXXXXXX

"Myst, you leave my mate alone."

"You invited me here, to design a fucking dress for that spoiled brat; I am not going to put up with being insulted by your teenage whore."

He backhanded her, knocking her to the floor. The sound of the music muffled the crash. It also muffled the sound of his grunt as she lashed out with her foot, nearly flooring him as she cracked her foot across his knee.

Unthreatened, he ignored her attempted attack. "Call her that again, _Raven_ - I dare you!" She blanched at the use of her real name. His claws were out, and he was ready to rip through all that blue skin, to make sure she still bled red.

"Damn you – I am SHOCKED! You really care about the little twit."

"Fuck you, Myst."

She licked her lips, looking up at him, "That needy already, hrmm?" She purred. "Is the little brat not adventurous enough for you yet?"

"That's not what I meant, and you know it. That's over - long over."

"I just thought that if the – what did you call her – Kitten - can't meet all of YOUR needs, well – I am always available." She slithered up to him, running a blue finger up his naked chest. He grabbed her hand, bending it back hard at the wrist. "If that's what it takes to get your help."

"Keep your fucking hands to yourself, Myst."

"Not even tempted, hrmm? Well, she MUST be good in bed."

She was pressing her body against his when he heard a noise in the doorway. When he turned his head, Katherine was standing in the arch - her eyes black, growling low.

"Myst, I'd back off if I were you – _That_ Kitten has claws, and is learning how to use them. If you don't want to turn into her personal scratching post, I advise you to keep your hands off." He shoved the blue woman back, into one of the chairs.

"I can't believe it! Victor Creed - the great Sabretooth - **tamed**." He growled. "Does she scratch behind your ears, Tom Cat?"

All he saw was the flash, as Katherine flew across the room, her claws out. She managed a few good scratches to Mystique's face and arms before he pulled her off.

"ENOUGH!" He roared.

"Damn, Creed put a leash on it." She had one foot held on Kitten's chest, holding her back.

"RAVEN!" He roared at her, his own eyes flashing black.

"Alright - alright. I'll play nice." spat the shape shifter, taking her foot back.

"KATHERINE!" He roared. She was still struggling in his arms.

"You keep that bitch away from me Victor Creed." Katherine hissed at her mate.

"That's going to be hard to do; she's here to design your dress for the Prom."

"I'll buy one thanks…"

"Kitten, Mystique can be a bitch, but she _IS_ a friend."

"I just saw exactly how friendly she is. Fuck you TOO, Vic." Kat hissed. "You and your – whatever she is – have fun. I'm out of here." She twisted out of his arms, and stormed out of the room. He heard her stomp up the stairs, and slam their bedroom door.

He didn't know if he should follow her, or try to calm Mystique. The laughter from the chair behind him answered that. He took off up the stairs behind his wife.

"We are not doing this – again." He yelled through the door. "I'll kick this fuckin' door down. It ain't like I can't replace it Kitten!"

"It's not locked, dumbass!" He heard another howl of laughter from downstairs. He was going to have to beat Raven senseless later. He opened the door, and walked in.

"You are really close to not going tonight."

"Fuck you…do you HONESTLY think I am leaving you here ALONE with that fucking slattern bitch downstairs. You are my fucking mate, and if I EVER catch you with your hands on her again, I will FUCKING CUT THEM OFF!" She was pacing around the room, screaming at him.

_Jealous_? That he hadn't expected. "Kitten…baby…KATHERINE! She's just an old friend."

"How OLD?" He almost hoped Mystique didn't hear that. Cracks about her age were a quick way to piss the shape shifter off. He growled, running his hands through his hair. He really wanted to just beat the hell out of something. Frails were a pain in the ass.

"Myst's…Kitten, it was a long FUCKING time ago."

"SHE'S the other ONE!?"

'Yes…sorta…maybe?" He sat on the bed, and watched her pace.

"HOW FUCKING LONG AGO?"

"Forty years."

"Ohhh…" She was standing there, arms crossed over her chest, glaring at him.

"Okay, kittens, I didn't plan on you two fighting the whole time I'm here." Mystique was standing in the door of the bedroom; leaning against the wood trim with the boldness of one who owned the place. "'Tooth go take a walk; Katherine and I need some girl time."

"You are insane, Mystique." There was no way he was going to leave them ALONE.

"Katherine, if you promise not to try to kill me, I promise not to kill you."

He watched her glaring at the blue mutant, she just nodded.

"FUCK! I need a drink." He stormed out of the bedroom. He wasn't sure what was worse, he was looking for hard liquor on a Sunday morning, or his wife and former lover just threw him out of his own bedroom.

XXXXXXXX

"Okay, now that the Tom Cat is out of the room…" She couldn't contain it any more; she slapped the blue bitch right across the face.

"He's my husband - my mate - you bitch, and don't ever forget it."

Mystique just shook her head in amusement, absently rubbing the sting from her cheek. "Fine. You and I need to come to an agreement here. I have known him a hell of a lot longer than you have, he OWES me – big time and eventually I am going to collect my due."

"He doesn't owe you his BODY. That belongs to ME!"

"Listen, little girl," Mystique's voice was a hiss, "if I have to FUCK him to get him to help me, I will, and your little kitten's claws can't stop me."

"I won't have to. HE will."

"You are so sure of that, are you, Girlie? I think if you were that sure of him, we wouldn't be standing here having this little chat, now would we, hrmm?" purred the shape shifter, crossing her arms.

"Why, exactly, are you here?" Kat hissed. "And don't tell me it's just about the fucking Prom dress?"

Ignoring her question, Mystique walked around the room- opening drawers, looking in the closets. She put her hands on her hips, turning back to Katherine. "Nice set up you got here. He's taking good care of you, I see." She gestured to the closets. "There's over three million in the jewelry box alone- and that's just the cats."

"That isn't an answer." Kat took a seat on the bed, watching the woman suspiciously.

Looking back at the clothes in Kitten's closet, Myst spoke. "My … mate, I guess you could say…is in trouble. I NEED your mate's help to get him out, and I'll do whatever I have to, to get that help…if it were Victor, what would you do?" She turned back to Katherine with naked emotion on her face. Katherine had a feeling she let very few people see it.

"I dunno. Probably whatever I had to do."

"Look, kid, none of us knew anything about you, or this place- or any of this. He has kept it all a secret. To be blatantly honest, I was surprised when I found out about all of this, and even more so when he invited me down here. This is making me doubt I can even trust _him _anymore, and I have a few questions of my own."

Katherine just listened, not knowing what to say. This woman probably knew Victor as well as she did- hell, probably better. It was a little intimidating, to say the least, and she hoped it didn't show.

Mystique continued, holding one hand up. "Number one: How long have you known Victor? Two: Do you know anything about his special ops? Three: Where the bloody hell did you come from?" She ticked them off on her fingers as she went. "There has been absolutely NO indication of a female feral in ANY of the mutant rumor mills I have been listening in on. Your ass literally just dropped down from out of nowhere, and I don't like it." She scowled. "I don't trust it."

Katherine raised a hand the way Mystique had before answering. "One: I've known Vic since I was four hours old. Two: I don't know what special ops you mean; unless you mean the ones that my Dad was involved in. If you mean the other stuff he does, I have a general idea, but I'm not involved in it. AND Three:" she said, ticking them off her fingers, "I come from right here - I was born and raised here." She let out a little sigh, mostly in boredom, putting her hands back down on the bed on either side of her. "And to be frank, I have no idea what the big deal about my being a female feral is - Vic hasn't explained any of that to me. All he said, really, was that we are kinda rare, and a bunch of hoopla about mating."

"Mating? You're not pregnant are you? How far away is this Prom, because if you start to balloon out, all the spandex in the world isn't going to save you?"

"No, I'm not pregnant." Katherine hissed, rolling her eyes.

"Well, I still don't get how the hell your ass slipped past all my contacts."

"If you mean the rumor mills, well, most of the bigwigs here in town are friends of my dad's, or of Vic's. My being a mutant has kind of stayed in town - it's not hard to hide most of the time. It only really shows when I get pissed off." Katherine said with a shrug. Her eyes hardened. "And as for you not trusting me . . . Trust ME, the feeling is mutual."

"Okay, I can trust you on that one, I'm sure." Mystique murmured, rolling her eyes. She glanced over to the chair at the vanity table, and made herself comfortable there. She crossed her legs, tucking her feet beneath the chair before beginning to poke around at the things there.

"Well, Sweetness, at least you aren't into all that heavy makeup crap." The blue woman said finally.

"What difference does that make?"

"Makeup stains like a bitch…and I refuse to design something that is just going to get stained up by some teenage kitty cat."

"Fine…you don't have to design CRAP!" She snarled at the blue shapes shifter.

"Hey…It was a compliment…okay…you don't need it, I can definitely see what Victor sees in you."

"I doubt it."

"You are pretty, young, and can take a whole lot of damage…sounds like the perfect bed partner for him."

"So what was your excuse…?"

"I wanted a baby…with a strong mutant father." The blue woman looked down at the floor, her eyes looking anywhere but at the bed where Katherine was sitting.

"YOU have a BABY- and my husband is the father?"

"It was forty years ago…he's not exactly a baby, or even a mutant for that matter…and yes Victor was the father." Mystique hissed.

"Was?"

"Graydon's not exactly speaking to either of us."

"So I have a stepson named Graydon…that's what twenty five years or so older than I am…Great."

"Well, Sweetness, Vic and I have been around a while…"

"So I see." Mystique glared at her. Kat grinned back.

"If it's any comfort…Snaggles turned me down flat - downstairs."

"He BETTER have…or I'd have his hide for a floor rug." She felt her eyes drain, her fangs lengthen and her claws cut through the fabric under her hands. Mystique burst out laughing.

"Ohh, Kitten, I think you would. Tell you what…truce. I'll do the dress, and leave your Tom Cat alone. _You_ are just so damned amusing."

The two women looked at each other, and then finally Katherine joined the laughter. She wasn't certain about this woman, but she decided to trust her instincts.

"So what do you need from me?"

"Well…" Mystique shifted her form a bit, a measuring tape appearing around her neck, "I need to get measurements and we need to discuss what you want. I DON'T do fru fru."

"Good. I don't either." Kat stood up, nervously. She wasn't sure about the blue woman touching her. Mystique quickly measured her, her hands cool and professional, the tape measure never leaving her hand. "Don't you need to write that down?"

"Sweetness…the tape measure is a part of me. I'll remember."

"Oh…"

"So what do YOU have in mind for this dress?"

"You mean you and Victor haven't already decided?"

"No…I wouldn't let THAT neanderthal design a pin cushion. He dresses in those damned leathers most of the time."

"I can tell you didn't take a good look in HIS closet." Katherine pointed to Victor's side of the room. Mystique walked over to the door to his closet.

"Well, I'll be damned…he DOES know the difference between wool and linen."

Katherine chuckled, the blue shape shifter really sounded surprised. "Yeah…he does clean up nice."

"I'll take your word for it, Sweetness. Now…for your dress!"

"I have no idea…I like simple…"

"How about black…and white"

"I'd have to see something."

"Give me a little time. I should have a sketch by this evening."

"I have plans this evening…but I will be home tomorrow."

"Sounds good." The blue woman walked out the bedroom door.

Katherine sat back down on the bed. She wasn't sure what to think about the shape shifter. She thought about some of the things the woman had said. Mystique had said her mutation was unusual enough that it would make the mutant rumor mills. She didn't understand what was that unusual about it.

The hardest thing for her was that Victor and Mystique had a child. She was still trying to get her head around that fact. He hadn't mentioned anything about a child, ever. He had done everything in his power to make sure they DIDN'T have one, at least not yet. She wondered if they would ever have one now…now that she knew he already had one.

She was sitting, quietly, when he knocked on the door frame. "You okay."

"I guess…finding out you have a son was interesting."

"Yeah, about that…I didn't find out until a couple years ago and…well he hates my guts, mine and EVERY mutant in the world. I doubt you will ever have to deal with him." He sat on the bed behind her, and slipped his arms around her waist, pulling her back against his chest. "Myst is going to be in her room all day, she said something about having an idea she wanted to sketch. Are you still goin' ta the slumber party?"

"I want to…Are you sure blue and scaly will keep her hands to herself?"

"Do you honestly think I would let you go off to a slumber party without being nearby?"

"What? You trust that woman alone in our house?"

"Kitten…I wasn't planning on sleeping at home tonight anyway, and YES I trust Myst, about as far as I can throw her – sometimes - which is pretty far."

"Vic, the party is Girls Only…"

"I called Heather's dad…told him I was goin' huntin in the woods nearby…he said if I need a place to crash, they have a swing on the back porch."

"VICTOR!"

"What…you are my mate – I ain't lettin' ya go off and leave me here alone here - with HER."

"I thought you said you trusted her…" He gave her his wounded look. "Fine, just stay out of sight…and no eavesdropping. It's GIRLS ONLY!"

"Okay." He whispered against her hair. She turned around and kissed him.

"I am going to get a shower and get dressed." She heard him leave the room as she climbed into the shower, he was talking to their houseguest as she toweled off and pulled her clean top over her head. She packed an overnight bag…night gown, clothes for tomorrow; Heather had all the party stuff at her house. This was the first night she wouldn't spend sleeping in his bed in weeks, and somehow she had a feeling neither one of them would get much sleep tonight.

XXXXXXXXX

"You had to tell her about Graydon?" He was leaning on the door frame, watching Myst sketch something on a piece of paper.

"Snaggletooth, it was GIRL talk. Things come up." She didn't even look up from the paper. He could see the signs of strain on her. Mags' arrest and trial had been hard on her, the three small scars on her stomach told another story.

"Did you at least get even with him?"

"Graydon?"

"The Runt." He pointed at her stomach.

"Not yet." Her voice was hard, but there was something else there.

"Myst…be careful. Mags ain't someone to screw off on." She shot him a glare.

"Like I would - I love that old coot." She cringed. It wasn't something she admitted to often.

"How's he holdin up?"

"I haven't been able to get in to see him. Stryker is sniffing around, has control of where he is being held. Only the goat man and his goons, and sometimes Xavier and the One Eye get to see him." He could tell something about this was bothering her. It sure as hell was bothering him.

"I thought Stryker was dead?"

"Nope. I saw him and his new pet - he calls her Deathstrike – go in the other day."

"Shit!" He wasn't going to be taking Kitten out of here any time soon, not till Stryker was out of the way. "This Deathstrike, what does she look like."

"Oriental, pretty – coldest bitch I have ever seen, and that's including Emma Frost."

"Did you catch her name or just what he calls her?"

"Why do you care?"

"Myst, it's important."

"Yuriko. He called her Yuriko." Victor's claws dug into the door frame he was leaning on. SHIT! She was the only one like them, who WASN'T a feral. She had the healing factor, and the adamantium…like the Runt, which made sense. She and Logan had been lovers for years, been engaged before Stryker and Weapon X. Victor shook his head. Weapon X wasn't something he liked to think about. He was glad he wasn't planning on much sleep tonight. He KNEW he was going to have nightmares when he shut his eyes – after this conversation.

"Do you know her?"

"I did…a long time ago." He needed to change the subject. "Any sign of the X-Men causin problems, lookin for us?"

"No, they still think you are dead…nice job by the way, Tom Cat." He chuckled.

"Do they know you are alive?"

"Yeah, I'm not worried about it though. Xavier won't let them do anything."

"Is the Runt still with 'em?"

"Not that I can tell. He left right after Liberty Island, went north, looking for something. Xavier keeps track of him, in case he has to call him back."

"As long as he stays away from me…and Kitten...I don't care."

"YOU don't CARE…about LOGAN!" She was shocked. He watched the gears turn in her head. "How the FUCK did YOU find a female feral?" She turned and looked at him, throwing her feet up on the end of the bed, and crossing her ankles. She leaned back in the chair, until only two legs were on the floor. He knew she was setting up to hear a long story. Leave it to Myst to latch on to the important part.

"Let's just say she dropped into my lap…"

"Let's NOT - You know just how fucking rare they are…and she's still ALIVE? That's amazing, and almost scary."

"Myst…she isn't…she's MINE, I ain't draggin her into this shit."

"She said she has known you since she was four hours old." Damn, Blue Butt and her mind like a steel trap.

"Yeah…as I said she dropped into my lap, almost literally. Her dad's one of my old merc guys. I happened to be there the day she was born, and as soon as I realized what she was, I made my claim, and made it clear to both her parents. I'd known them for a while so they didn't even question me."

"You knew about her since BIRTH and didn't say anything?"

"I TOLD you, Mystique…she's MINE!"

"I am not questioning that, Tooth; it's just odd you didn't say anything. We could have used someone like her…"

"Kitten…naa, she's feral – yeah, but sheltered, protected. Couldn't fight her way out of a paper bag, but I'm workin on that. Her parents kept her safe – and secret – for me, there was no way in HELL I was letting another feral within a hundred miles of her. And I am still NOT! She's my mate."

"Are you going to breed with her?"

"None of your damned business…and I got ten years ta think about it before it's an issue again."

"Hrmmm…ten years? Well that explains a lot." Fuck, Myst wasn't dumb; she'd figure a few things out. Kitten was safe, he'd see to that, but he was almost scared for any other female feral the blue woman found.

"Myst, it ain't anything ta play around with. It's these kids' lives."

"Like I'd find one…but if I did, I might be able to help, to find a match…breed them and see what…" His hand closed around her throat. Her feet came up, kicking hard, but he wasn't letting go. She needed to understand, this was ONE issue he wouldn't be swayed on.

"RAVEN…DROP IT!" He snarled into her face, fangs flashing, and even SHE was smart enough to be a little afraid.

"Fine! Shit Creed, you and I are going to end up killing one another someday, if you don't get your temper under control."

"Let's just say it's important to me, and it IS something I'd kill you over, so don't forget it."

Her eyes closed to a slit, the yellow barely showing…"Believe me, I won't."

He dropped her back into the chair, before turning and walking out the door. "Kitchen's yours, Kitten and I will be gone all night. See you in the morning, Mystique."

XXXXXXXXX

He dropped her off at Heather's. Amy and Terry were already there. George was in the living room, playing on the X-Box. Dana and some of the other girls from school would be along later. Why Heather was throwing such a big party, and inviting people they hardly knew, was beyond Kat, but she was looking forward to it.

"Is Victor leaving?" Heather asked, watching him pull away in the car. "Dad said he might stay."

"Heather…he's going hunting. If he does come back by here, he's going to crash on the back porch, and NOT in with us." Kat said, laughing. She would swear her friends had bigger crushes on her husband than she once had. Now she knew him better…and was starting to question what the hell she had been thinking.

Amy and Terry were giving her a hard time in the kitchen when she heard a strange sound on the side of the house. It sounded like something scraping against the brick. She stuck her head out the back door, just in time to see her husbands' feet go scrambling up onto the roof. DAMN him!

She was going to enjoy this, and he could just eavesdrop, literally. She hoped he got a good ear full too. She grinned, and Amy poked her in the ribs.

"So, how's married life treating you?"

"As if you weren't at the house last week."

"Come on…its one thing to be there and watch you two all smoochy and shit…I want DETAILS girl!" Amy dragged her into the living room.

"Nope…not gonna and you can't make me." Kat said laughing.

"Not gonna what…and it's three against one…" Terry said from in front of the TV. She had the other controller for the X-Box and was playing some game with George.

"My sex life is NO one's business…but mine."

"OHHHH…my favorite girl conversation." George lisped as he turned around. They all laughed. Kat was saved by the arrival of Dana and Melissa and a couple other girls from school.

"I thought this was 'Girls Only' – what's HE doing here." Dana asked.

"Dana…He's one of the GIRLS!" Heather laughed.

George started his 'girl' act and soon everyone was laughing and at ease. Kat was surprised to hear Victor's voice.

_Good one, Kid!_ It was coming from the roof. He was going to sit up there all night. Well she'd teach him a thing or two…come to think of it…maybe a good discussion on married life might not be a BAD idea after all.

The pizza arrived and the kids settled down in the living room. There were sleeping bags and air mattresses all around the room, and Heather's mom was keeping an eye, and probably an ear on them. Kat decided to wait until she went to bed to get even with the Tom Cat on the roof. The girls painted toe nails and finger nails and laughed about boyfriends and getting ready for the Prom.

"So, where's Victor tonight? " Dana asked, the two of them were in the kitchen putting more sodas in the fridge to chill.

"I think he went hunting…probably a beer. He's hanging around somewhere I am sure." She heard a choke from the roof.

_You are going to THINK hanging around._

"So…did you try that thing I told you about?"

"OH my GOD…" She and Dana giggled uncontrollably. She heard a moan from the roof. He was definitely going to get an ear full tonight. She just hoped his self control could handle it. She knew he was remembering exactly what Dana had suggested.

"I take it that's a yes…and he LIKED it?"

"Oh…yeah." She ignored the whispered warning from above.

"See, I told you, I don't know a guy that DOESN'T like that…"

_NOT A FUCKING WORD, KITTEN!_

She looked up at the kitchen ceiling for a second…"Well, Victor is no exception to that." She could tell from the noises from the roof that he wasn't sure if he should be relieved, or pissed.

Around ten o'clock Heather's mom went upstairs, and the girls all settled down to watch a movie. George flopped over onto his back, grinning.

"What were you two giggling about earlier…?" He asked.

"Nonya." Dana and Kat both said in unison.

_Thank you_ he the whispered from above. He was so dead; he just didn't know it yet.

The conversation quickly turned from Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow to boyfriends again…and sex.

"Alex is ok…and I don't mind sex, I just hate getting all messy and stuff. Of course we don't go all the way, but well…" Dana was saying.

"Oh, sweetie, going all the way is fun, if your boy knows the right moves." George said, laughing.

"Like you'd know the right moves for a guy to use on a GIRL…sheish George, guys are built different." Amy slapped him.

"Don't I KNOW it?!" They all were laughing at George's antics, even the uninvited guest on the roof. She was going to have to either make him expose himself, or make him leave. She hadn't decided which yet.

"Well, I don't know…I mean Frank and I have gone pretty far, and he likes it when I…you KNOW…" Melissa was blushing.

"What, I don't KNOW." Heather said with a laugh…she was the one who signed the abstinence pledge, and was determined to stick to it. Kat knew that didn't mean she didn't want all the information she could get.

"Go down on him…" They all giggled. Melissa was blushing worse. "But I never know what to do with my teeth…"

"Ohhh I KNOW." Dana said. The conversation quickly wound into a discussion of proper technique and the pros and cons of swallow verses spit. Even George had some good pointers; Kitten just laughed, listening to every word…including the comments from above.

_What's wrong with a little teeth…it felt good…DAMN…I hope you are taking NOTES down there. I definitely want to try THAT…_He was having way too much fun on that roof. _Now I am going to need a cold shower…where the hell is that lake._

"Well…I certainly had fun with a little…what did you call that Dana…MSBD?"

"BDSM…and you got HIM to go along with THAT?"

_DON'T DO IT! _She could tell he was having trouble keeping quiet.

"Yep, we had a bet…who ever lost the kill on our hunting trip couldn't say no for twenty four hours…" She grinned at her audience, knowing that her husband was going to suffer for this.

"You didn't do anything MEAN did you?" Heather asked. Katherine made a mental note to have a LONG talk with her later. This over protective thing she had with Victor had to stop. He was a fucking assassin for crying out loud.

"If by MEAN you mean making him stand there and hold the canopy frame while I had a little FUN…yep."

Even George was giving her a shocked look.

_Kitten you are so cruising for a serious spanking when we get home._

"Oh, I know…" she said toward the ceiling. "a little shocking, but I didn't do anything STRANGE…just got to explore and play a bit, and hey, there's a LOT of Victor to explore."

"That there is…" George was practically drooling.

"George…honey…you couldn't handle it." Kat said with a knowing look. George had the grace to blush.

_Damn straight…stick to your boy toy, kid._ She glared at the ceiling.

"What did you make him DO?" Dana asked.

"As I said nothing really strange; I made him strip for me…that was fun, of course he was PISSED so it wasn't as fun as it could have been."

_OH really? I'll remember that._

"Then I made him let me watch while he took a shower…THAT was fun, especially since I hid all the towels…he really does look kinda like a drowned cat after a shower." They all were laughing…all but the growling Tom Cat on the roof.

_We'll see who looks like a drowned cat…you are in so much trouble when I get you home._

"And THEN…I made him hold on to the bed while I dried him off…SLOWLY…and he couldn't touch me or move…now THAT was fun…and then…" All of the kids jumped at the sound of the growl from the roof.

"What was that?" Melissa asked, shivering.

"Probably some wild cat out in the woods out back." Heather said. Kat just grinned quietly.

"So THEN what, Kat?"

"Well…I got to have some real fun…Dana style…and then some hot and heavy sex when I told him he could let go of the bed…"

_Spanking ain't the half of it…What the FUCK are you doing down there? Giving a play by play…SHIT!_

"YOU really went oral on him…and HE was able to have SEX too…Alex is shot after I do that. What is it REALLY like?" Dana asked. The other girls looked straight at her.

"What do you mean, really like?"

"Well, Alex is so messy, and it tastes okay, but well we don't do full…ya know -intercourse. What does it FEEL like?"

"Please tell me that's not what this party was all about?"

"NO!" They all said in unison.

_BUSTED!_ She heard him mutter…his chuckles causing a shiver down her spin. Damn him, she'd see who was BUSTED! She knew he could smell just how aroused he was making her…and he was going to have to wait.

"Oh really?" She grinned at them. "What do you want to know?" She heard him groan.

_KITTEN…these jeans are tight enough as it is._

Tayla, one of the girls from the swim team, looked at her. "I know what guys get out of it, and like Dana said, it's messy, but what are WE supposed to get out of it. Petting is nice and feels good, and Ralph is a great kisser, but when it comes down to IT, well it's messy and uncomfortable and sometimes, well it hurts."

"Then, Sweetness, Ralph's not doing IT right." She heard a rumble of laughter from the roof. "I mean Vic's not SMALL by any means, but even when he is rough, I enjoy it."

_You are going to THINK rough when I get you home!_ He grumbled from the roof, his low growl sending shockwaves down her spine, causing her to tremble.

"At least tell me you are using a condom?" Kat said to Tayla.

"Yea, I'm not STUPID." Kitten could smell her embarrassment, even if it was hard to tell against her mocha skin.

"Didn't say you were…Vic HATES condoms but used them at first, so I wouldn't get pregnant."

"But not NOW…are you trying to have a baby?" Dana asked, shocked. "I thought you had plans for college.

"I do. I…well..." Most of them knew already so it wasn't that big a deal. "I am a mutant, and well…girls with my type of mutation can only get pregnant four or five days every ten years. The rest of the time it's just for fun."

_You'll think fun when I get you home…think about something else or go take a cold shower, I can smell you up here._

"WOW…THAT ROCKS!" Dana said. "I WISH I didn't have to worry about getting pregnant…that's one of the reasons I won't let Alex go all the way…I want to go to college before I have a baby."

The conversation changed to her mutation for a while, but the girls weren't going to be distracted for long.

"Okay…just what did you mean by you ENJOY having sex with Vic…and what did you mean by not SMALL." Amy asked. "And what's the difference with and without condoms?"

"AMY!" Kat grinned. Trust Amy to get things back on track. Kat would swear she had a memo pad somewhere taking notes.

_I swear I am going to GUT that kid._ She heard him moan…and shift around on the roof. He was getting uncomfortable again.

"I enjoy it, and it is BETTER without condoms, but not unless you plan on getting pregnant or sick. Victor and I…we can't GET sick, and now that I can't get pregnant for a while, we don't need them. It feels good, and my GOD…orgasms are the BOMB…almost literally," She rolled her eyes toward the ceiling. The answering growling moan told her he could smell JUST how much she enjoyed the feelings he gave her. "I feel like I am about to explode…and then after I am so relaxed, I usually sleep like the dead, well until Vic wakes me up again." She grinned. "As for Vic's size…well…hang on a second." She went into the kitchen and dug around in the vegetable drawer in the refrigerator. She found a nice sized cucumber; about eight inches in circumference and a good ten inches long…she took it back to the living room and threw it in the middle of the circle. "That's about right."

"OUCH…and THAT doesn't HURT!" Tayla squealed. "Ralph's not nearly that big." Even George was a little pale.

"I don't think I could get THAT in my MOUTH much less any place else." Dana said.

"Well so much for THAT fantasy…" George muttered.

_I think that was just a little TOO much detail, Kitten. How big is that thing anyway?_

"You have really had an ORGASM? With THAT…?" Heather finally asked, changing the subject a little.

"More than ONE…" She said with a very knowing grin.

"You can have more than ONE!" Amy squealed.

_DAMN IT WOMAN!_ She knew she was in trouble later.

"Usually two or three…depends on exactly how energetic Vic is."

"God you girls are lucky, Steve gets one shot and wants to curl up and go to sleep." George said.

"SHHHHHH…." Kitten hissed suddenly…there were footsteps on the stairs.

"Okay, I had to join in on this conversation…" Heather's mom said from the stairs. "More than ONE!? Think Victor could give Thomas some pointers?"

"MOM!"

"Do you think your Dad and I don't have sex?"

"EEWWWWW TMI MOM!"

Heather's mother eyed the cucumber in the middle of the circle. "That's not an exaggeration is it?"

"Nope, it's as close as I could get with your vegetables - that's a little small." Kat said.

"You poor girl…it sounds like he at least knows how to USE it right."

She heard coughing and spluttering from the rooftop. This was BETTER than she had hoped for.

_SHIT! Now the parents are getting in on the act. Kitten, draw this to a close._

Heather's mom sat down and joined in the conversation. The only two people who were embarrassed by that were Heather and Victor. The conversation went into far greater detail than any sex education class in school. At least the girls were getting GOOD information, useful information. Kat wished she had had this party and this conversation two months ago. It would have helped a WHOLE lot. Even Victor's comments from the peanut gallery were helpful, and she passed on some of the better ones to the girls.

"I STILL don't understand exactly how a girl is supposed to have an orgasm…" Dana said, finally.

_And at this rate she probably never will_.

"Do you want to come down here and give a demonstration?" Kat said out loud. They all heard the crash as he fell from the roof. The others rushed to the window, just in time to see him land outside.

"He's BEEN here…THE WHOLE TIME!?" George spluttered. The rest of the girls shouted in outrage.

"Well, he was SUPPOSED to go hunting…it's his own damned fault for eavesdropping." Kitten said with a glimmer in her eye.

"You KNEW he was there?" Amy yelled.

"Yeah…he needed to learn a lesson…GIRLS ONLY means GIRLS ONLY. If you don't want to hear what's going on DON'T listen."

Even Heather, who always took Victor's side, was laughing at that. They all rushed to the front door and opened it; he had landed in a bed of roses, and was picking thorns out of his arms.

"Very funny, Kitten." He glared at the crowd in the door frame.

"You thought so…I'm so glad. Maybe next time you will realize exactly what goes on in a GIRLS ONLY night…" She turned around and walked back into the living room and slipped into her sleeping bag.

Heather looked at Victor, and then at the porch swing. Kat watched as she gave him a sweet smile. Kat had known her long enough to know what that meant, she waited for the fireworks.

"Victor, it's cool out here, let me get you a blanket for the porch swing." Heather said…he stepped onto the porch and up to the door. Heather slammed the door in his face. He had managed to piss off his staunchest defender, Kat chuckled to herself. That had to hurt. She closed her eyes. She knew he would get even tomorrow…but this had been so much fun, it would be worth it.


	9. Chapter 9

Kittens Have Claws, Too.

Sabretooth has found his mate. Does he have the patience to wait for her?

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**

Thanks again to my Co Author and Beta…Lady Mage

Jinx – Thank you…

Lightningstar – it's coming…but his moto is revenge is a dish best served cold.

Erisah – as usual..TY and so glad I made your day.

Takerslady…Graydon will not show up in this one…but there WILL be a sequel, it's already in the works.

Chapter 9

She was STILL laughing about the slumber party. He hadn't said a word all the way home the next day. She had gone in to the house, grinning, to find Mystique sitting in the living room, and she fell in love with the sketch of the dress. It was going to be white, with a black lace skirt, and black embroidery on the white satin, with spaghetti straps and a drape from the shoulders in the same white satin with embroidery that came to the backs of her knees.

"It'll take me about a week to get it done. I'll come back next weekend to fit it."

Katherine gave the blue woman a hug, which surprised all three of them. "Thank you. I love the design."

Mystique looked at her, and Kat would swear there were tears in her eyes, not that the blue woman would admit it. "I'll see you next week." She said as she shifted her form, this time a brown haired girl about Katherine's age, and walked out the door.

"You and I need to have a TALK…Kitten."

"About what?" She asked, feigning innocence.

"You KNOW what."

"I TOLD you no eavesdropping."

"And I told you to quit, several times."

"You were warned it was Girls Only…what's your problem anyway?"

"I'll show you what my PROBLEM is…" he growled as he picked her up, threw her over his shoulder, and carried her up the stairs. God she hoped his problem was the same one hers was. He threw her down in the middle of the bed, before landing on top of her.

"Now then…DID you HAVE to give a fucking PLAY by PLAY of our sex life?" He shouted as he started ripping her shirt off.

"Did YOU have to fucking LISTEN? You COULD have gone HUNTING like you SAID you were going to do." She replied, her own claws shredding his shirt.

"I had to fucking talk SEX with Heather's DAD this morning…and I HOPE to HELL he got the hint." He grumbled against her neck as he slipped her skirt down her hips, his claws gently tracing her legs as he pulled them up to wrap around his hips.

"Well it could have been WORSE…you could have had to deal with George…" He pulled his face away from her neck as she helped him out of his too tight jeans.

"That does remind me…I hope to HELL you took notes…because they suggested some things I want you to try."

"Trust me, Amy will make sure I get the transcript and the memo tomorrow at school." He moaned as he slid inside her. Neither one of them said a word after that.

They didn't even get out of bed, well he did, long enough to order pizza and bring the box up when the delivery guy got there. Somewhere around two o'clock in the morning he mumbled against her hair. "No more slumber parties."

It was closer to four when he woke up screaming; his claws deep in her back and arm.

"STOP! ENOUGH…I am not DOING this anymore." He shouted, throwing her across the room.

"Victor…" she screamed at him, the wounds from his claws closing up on her arm. His eyes were open, but he wasn't awake. He was trapped in some kind of nightmare. His claws were slashing his own chest, as if to rip something off of it.

She tried to reach him, but he kept pushing her away, throwing her, his claws cutting deep into her skin. She tried to remember everything he had been teaching her about fighting, but he was just too quick, too dangerous. She tried to make it to the bathroom, thinking if she threw some cold water on him it would wake him, but he grabbed her as she tried to sprint past, pinning her against the wall, his claws poised just above her hip bone, ready to dump her insides on the floor.

"Victor…please…wake up. It's me, Katherine…you are safe, and no one is going to hurt you." She felt the claws digging in; she winced against the pain, allowing a small whimper to escape her mouth. She didn't want him to know he had hurt her.

He shook his head. "Kat…Kitten." He looked at her, his arm across her throat, holding her up against the wall, and then looked down, his claws embedded in her stomach.

"NO!!"

He jumped back, and she landed hard on the floor.

"NO!!!!" He roared again.

She looked at the four small cuts on her stomach, her healing factor already closing them. He looked around the room, sniffed the air, and then looked at her. He staggered back, stumbling over his own feet and landed hard in the middle of the room.

"Kitten…NO!" The stark look of terror on his face stunned her.

"Victor, I'm alright. I am worried about you."

"Get OUT! I ain't safe ta be around…GET OUT!"

"NO!"

"Kitten…I was gonna gut ya! YA NEED TA GET OUT!!"

"NO!! You are my mate, my husband; I am not going to leave you like this."

"GET THE FUCK OUT! LEAVE!" He roared at her.

"NO!! GET IT THROUGH YOUR FUCKING HEAD, I'M NOT LEAVING YOU!" She roared back. They BOTH jumped. It was the first time she had really given as good as she got from him. He stared at her a moment…and then gave a small chuckle…that turned into a full blown laugh. She started laughing with him.

"Now do you want to tell me what the HELL that was all about?" She said finally.

"No…I don't want to…but - I will." He stood up and held a hand out to her. She took it and he pulled her to her feet.

He pulled her into his arms, he was still trembling. She knew her Tom Cat, not much scared him - not like this. She slipped her arms around his waist, and just let him hold her. Finally he let go, and they curled up on the bed, ignoring the still drying blood on the sheets.

"You were about seven…I remember coming to check on you, before they caught me; the night you found me in the woods."

"I remember."

"I don't, not much after they took me three days later. I woke up strapped to a table in some lab. They were cutting on me, and they had some mutant there who could mess with your mind…take away your will to fight, make you think you were someplace else, doing something else. I didn't know I was that strong. They NEVER once got anything about you out of my head. I know _**that**_ for sure. Anyway, there are some things I do remember. I remember the table, and being operated on without any anesthetic. I remember this tank they put me in, with this green stuff that made the blood stop flowing so they could LOOK at my muscles and bones without blood being everywhere. They kept me there for three years, Kitten.

"Vic…no wonder you were having nightmares. Why did this come up? I mean it's the first time you have had any since we got married."

"Myst mentioned someone I remember from the lab; the guy who ran the place." He suddenly grabbed her arms and pulled her up where he could look her in the eye. "If a guy named Stryker comes here, I want you to RUN, fast as you can, as far away as you can. Hell, I won't tell you this often, but if HE shows up…there's this place in New York, called the Xavier's Institute for Gifted Youth. If Stryker shows up, and I am not here, YOU RUN…take whatever you need, and YOU GET THERE. I'll come get you when it is safe again. I don't EVER want him getting his hands on you."

"Wait a minute…who is this Xavier guy?"

"Remember when I told you to run if you ever saw guys in black leather with big X's on them…well, if Stryker shows up…THEY will protect you."

"You are going to have to write all of this down…and highlight the important parts…post it by the phone or something, because keeping track of who to run from when is getting kinda complicated."

"Kitten, this isn't the time for jokes."

"What makes you think I am JOKING?"

"I ain't positin it by the damned phone…maybe in the freezer…or taped under the bed…I don't want just anyone seein it."

"Just let me know WHERE to look. Now can we get some sleep...I still have school in the morning." 

He pulled her against his chest, and held her. He was still trembling, and she knew he wouldn't get any more sleep. She didn't think she would either, but then he started to purr, soft and low in his chest and she felt her eyes getting heavy.

"Sleep, baby, I'll guard against the night." He whispered against her hair.

XXXXXXXXX

She was so cute when she snored. He would never tell her, but the little rasping noise she made was soothing. She was draped across his chest, her arms wrapped tightly around him. He knew if he moved, she'd wake, and that was the last thing he wanted.

_He looked at his arm, strapped to the table with some form of metal he had never seen before. The scents in this place were strange, medical. He could smell several different people, could hear them moving around outside the doors of the room he was in. One scent kept hitting him…stale, but still strong, as if soaked into the walls and floors of the room…The Runt. _

_"Well, this one's strong" said a harsh southern voice; the face that matched it just as harsh, his beard making him resemble a goat. "But not strong enough…begin the operations."_

_"Yes, Colonel Striker" said a young woman to his right. She pulled a mask up over her face and began drawing on his skin. He couldn't see what they were doing, he tried to lift his head but a pair of strong hands pushed it back down and attached a metal strap across his forehead._

_"He is very angry. His anger is blocking his thoughts." Said a soft male voice from across the room._

_"That's not my concern right now. I want to know how good a subject he will be." The one called Stryker said._

_He tried to keep the scream from ripping out of his throat, but the cuts in his arms, made over and over again were agonizing. "He is healing at a rate as fast as subject X did."_

_"Very good…Yuriko, continue the experiments. Your father's work will continue."_

_"Will we use the adamantium process on this one?" Her voice was harsh, angry._

_"I don't know…Let's see how your grafts go first. If there's enough of the alloy to do a third subject, he might be a good candidate. It's too bad your – lover – made such a mess of things when he left."_

_"I will find him…and kill him. I was a fool, he used me, used us to get what he wanted, and then killed my father to prevent anyone else…and I thought I loved him." He didn't hear much more over his own screams as they moved the scalpel to his hips and groin._

He snapped his eyes open. The room still smelled of freshly spilled blood, but he wasn't in a killing rage. It took him a moment to realize he was in his own home, his wife sleeping on his chest. He nearly jumped out of the bed when the alarm went off next to him.

"Five more minutes…" She mumbled against his chest.

"You are the one who said you have school today." He grinned as he kissed the top of her head.

"Fine...but no peaking in the shower, Mr. Creed."

"Now why would I want to do that?" He grinned as she climbed out of bed; his heart lurched at the dried blood on her body. "Kitten…did I do that?"

"What?" She mumbled sleepily. She looked down at the dried blood on her stomach and legs. "Oh…you had a nightmare."

"SHIT!" What was happening? He didn't remember. He sat up and looked at the bed, even on the dark sheets the bloodstains were showing up. There were dried pools on the floor as well. She was walking into the bathroom when he noticed the blood on her back and arm.

He put his head in his hands and moaned. He could have killed her. Her body wouldn't stand up to him, not in a full rage, not if he didn't know who she was. There had to be some way of keeping her safe, safe from him.

"You quit that right now, Victor Creed." She said from the shower.

"What?"

"Whatever the fuck has you scared out of your mind." He hated that her senses were almost as sharp as his sometimes.

He climbed off the bed and went to stand in the bathroom door.

"I nearly killed you last night."

"Yea…and then you had a nightmare, Tom Cat…" She grinned.

"WHAT!"

"Last night…hell all day yesterday was wonderful. I am not sure I will be able to SIT in school today, I might actually be sore…." She grinned at him.

"Damn it, Kitten, I'm serious. That's a lot of blood out there."

"Yes and over half of it is YOURS."

"Really?"

"Yea you cut yourself up pretty bad before I got you to wake up." She said, climbing out of the tub. "You probably ought to consider a shower yourself. You are covered…"

He took a good look at his body in the mirror. She was right, he was covered and from the smell it was almost all his.

"Maybe I will…"

"Victor, if you didn't have nightmares, after what you have lived through, THEN I would be worried." She said as she kissed him before heading back into the bedroom to get dressed. "And would you QUIT shredding my clothes. I am running out of things to wear."

"No you're not. Besides…I need an excuse ta buy ya more." They both laughed as he washed his hair. He heard her go down stairs through the sound of the water. Damn it, he wanted his good bye kiss. Conditioner could wait. He turned off the water and jumped out of the shower.

He pulled on a T shirt and a pair of jeans. He had no plans for the day, and after last night, it looked like he would be cleaning blood out of hardwood floors. He shook his head. Bits and pieces kept coming back to him, them talking after the dream was clear, but not much prior to that.

He heard her moving around down stairs. He slipped down, and caught her on the way out the door.

"Hey…forgettin somethin." He said.

"I thought you would go back to bed and get some sleep, baby." She walked up and kissed him gently.

"Sleep probably isn't a good idea right now. I'll deal with it, Kitten, in my own way. I always do."

"Okay…just don't leave me out of the loop, I love you." She didn't say it as often as he would like, and still wasn't used to hearing it. He pulled her roughly against his chest, and kissed her again, demanding she respond.

"Keep that up, and I might consider skipping school today." She grinned.

"Don't tempt me." He laughed. There were only five weeks left of school and he wanted her to finish. "Get goin…I'll be here when ya get home."

She gave him a strange look, and grabbed her bag before sprinting out the back door. He wouldn't leave her, she was his life. He'd find a way to keep her safe, even if it killed him.

The phone rang, startling him. He grabbed the receiver off the wall.

"Mr. Creed?"

"Yeah…"

"It's Dan with Happy Pools. Your tile is in; I was wondering when you wanted to set up the installation." He grinned. A project, that's what he needed.

"Can ya get it here today?"

"I don't have anything on my schedule, and frankly some of the guys are curious about what you are going to do with this…I think I could round up some volunteers to help."

"Sounds great; I'm home all day so whenever you can get here…" He hung up the receiver. He went into the study and turned on the computer. He had the layout for the tiles ready, and started printing it out. His eyes were heavy from lack of sleep, but he wanted to get her pool done.

_The mask constricted around his face, the green liquid surrounded his entire body. The sounds from outside the take were muted and dulled to the point he couldn't understand what they were saying. The woman, her oriental features schooled and calm looked over at him floating in the tank._

_She walked over, her hands right over his face. "YOU'RE NEXT." She mouthed…and extended five long metal barbs from each hand._

_He twitched but the restraints held. He didn't know why he was afraid, anything that might make him more deadly, better able to do his job should be something he looked forward to, but there was something…strange… about the whole thing. The woman had changed since he had been here…from angry, dominant, and fierce, to cold, submissive and coolly deadly. _

_He felt the probe in his mind again, and allowed his anger, his fury to block the path. They had been digging hard, looking for any evidence of other mutants like him, that he might know about. He tried to force himself to forget her, to pretend she didn't exist, and when they seemed about to break through that…he allowed his rage to take over. No path was going to control him; no path was going to take what was his._

The pounding on the front door woke him. It was the pool contractors. The pages of the layout were still sitting on the printer.

"Here's the layout I had planned." He handed it to Dan. They discussed it and the five guys that were there got to work. He watched, helped when they would let him, and basically made sure the mosaic would turn out the way he planned.

"The awnings will be in next week and we can put in those columns we discussed then, Mr. Creed." Dan was saying as the phone rang.

"Sounds great…hang on a sec." He said, as he picked up the phone. "Creed."

"Hello, Uncle Vic."

"Megan?"

"Yeah…Imagine my surprise to learn that my favorite Uncle is now my brother-in-law."

"What the hell?"

"How are things going in mountain country? Not so great here in New York. That audition didn't pan out, and I am getting a little strapped. I'm thinking about coming home, and we both know how well that would go over. Wouldn't want my little sister knowing…about the night in the cabin."

"I don't know what you are talkin about Megan…nothin happened."

"I know that…You know that…Kitten – well she doesn't know that does she?"

"Yeah…she does."

"Does she know there is a warrant out for you? That there is a group of very angry mutants who would like to know where you are so they can take your head? One of them even has steel blades that come out of his hands…sharp enough to cut even YOUR head off, Uncle Vic."

"What the fuck do you want, Megan?" He growled into the phone, startling the pool contractor. He stepped inside the house and closed the door. "They're not steel, they're something called adamantium…get your facts straight kid, now what the HELL do you want?"

"Another deposit in that account might be nice…a little larger this time, say one hundred grand."

"Grow up, Megan."

"I am grown up, Uncle Vic…you're the one who didn't want to see it. Now if you don't want to see those fancy leather uniforms show up in your little love nest with my sister, money in that account would be nice."

"I couldn't care less…enjoy your life, kid, I'm enjoying mine." He hung up the phone. Damned kid, trying to blackmail him wasn't a good idea. Well she was in New York, maybe that damned Wall Crawler or something would get her, and then she wouldn't be his problem.

"Sorry 'bout that, sister-in-law is a pain in the ass." He told Dan. They went back to the plans for the pool. Even if she did call the X Geeks and told them where he was, it wouldn't matter, he'd kill anyone who showed up, besides Prom was two weeks away, then three until Graduation. After that, well it would depend on Kitten, but he wasn't worried about anyone disrupting their plans.

The mosaic was coming along nicely in the pool. It was a mermaid; the tiles came from a bath that had been excavated in Pompeii. It was going to be a beautiful pool, once the awning was in place to make it useable year round. He sat in one of the chairs on the porch and watched them work.

_The blood poured off of his hands. He looked back at the tunnel, bodies were strewn everywhere. The last one…the telepath, was still twitching. He was glad to be rid of this place. He turned toward the light and she stepped into his path._

_"Too bad your will was so strong, you could have had a set of these too." She said with a cold hiss, her metal blades slipping into view. He grinned. She would be fun to kill, maybe even get to have a little real fun with her before she died, show her who the better man was. She still smelled like the Runt, even after all this time…his scent was faint but it was there, on her. She needed to know what it was like to be fucked by a real man…Stryker didn't count._

_He lunged at her, her body crashing to the floor under his weight. He grinned, as she dug the blades deep into his back. His howl of pain was followed by another and another. She was quick, lithe, agile, and small, and when she hit, she hit where he would feel it the most. He didn't know how long they fought; it had to have been hours. He looked up and saw those blades coming down at his eyes._

"Need to let the grout set; we'll be back tomorrow to finish up." Dan was saying, startling him awake.

"Sure…no problem."

"Younger wife keepin ya up at night, huh…?" Dan grinned at him.

"You don't know the half of it." He grinned back. At least he hadn't come up swinging.

Kitten came home and squealed over the pool.

"Oh, Vic, I love it. I can't wait until it's done." She curled up in his lap in the chair. He stroked her hair and let her curl against him. "Did you get any sleep today?" She finally asked.

"Bits here and there, I think I worked through the nightmare. I should be okay. Your sister called."

"What does that bitch want, more money?" She grumbled.

"Pretty much."

"You aren't going to give her any are you?"

"Hell no…if she can blow through fifty grand in four weeks…she deserves what she gets."

"FIFTY GRAND!"

"Yea…I THOUGHT it would be a good set up for her, let her get her life straight. But I ain't her gravy train."

"Good for you. I love her, even if she is a pain in my ass, but I am not going to support her for the rest of her life. She is going to have to grow up, or face the consequences someday."

"She found out some things…threatened to tell the Geeks where I am, they could cause problems."

"What do I care?"

"There's a warrant out for my arrest."

"When ISN'T there, Vic?"

"Just wanted to make sure we are on the same page, Kitten."

"Dumbass."

"Dumbass is it…I am gonna have ta wash your mouth out, girlie."

"You and what army…I hate soap."

"Who said anything about soap…" He grinned down at her startled face.

"VICTOR!" He picked her up and carried her toward the stairs. Yep, he sure as hell hoped she had taken notes at that damned slumber party.

XXXXXXXX

The rest of the week was quiet. School was boring, mostly testing, and if it hadn't been for her friends, she would have just stayed home all week. Victor was really not helping her study habits.

There had been several good outcomes from the slumber party…including Victor's new appreciation for allowing her to explore and have fun. One good thing at school was a closer bond with the swim team. Melissa and Tayla were much nicer, and she and Tayla were well on the way to renewing their old friendship.

Tayla's dad was the judge who had married her and Vic, and the two of them had been close until about fifth grade. Now they were becoming good friends again, and Kat was glad. Tayla had started hanging out with them, and when Amy brought the tape and transcript from the slumber party, Tayla had managed to get her dad's clerk to copy both for them so everyone had a copy.

Victor's sleep was still troubled but there were no more attacks in his sleep. Katherine was worried about him. He had even created that list she had teased him about, and taped it under the mirror in her jewelry box. The list was five pages long. At least she knew what to do if he wasn't there. That was the part that was bothering her…if he wasn't there.

She knew he would be working…and that she wouldn't be able to go with him, but the thought of him not being there was hard to face.

"Hey why so gloomy?" Tayla asked as she sat down at the table. Kat was eating lunch at school today, the pool guys were finishing up and she didn't want to get in the way. "Pool should be ready today…that means we swim this weekend right?"

Kat grinned at her friend. "Yeah…" Something was strange today. Everything seemed off. Kat hoped it was just lack of sleep from worrying about Victor.

"You okay?" She asked Tayla. She smelled strange.

"Yeah…just not feeling great, my arms hurt today for some reason." She kept rubbing her forearms.

"Too much practice this week? That mete was pretty intense, maybe you pulled something?"

"I don't know, I've been having these headaches, and everything smells weird."

"I thought it was just me. You know about my mutation…and you smell weird today." Kit said in a low voice. "Other things have too, so…maybe it's something in the air. I'll ask Vic later if he noticed anything. It might be the chemicals they are using to treat the tile in the pool, but I don't know why you would smell them all the way over here."

"Me either. It's making my stomach queasy."

"Maybe you should go home, get some rest."

"Naa, I'll be ok." The rest of the group came up to the table then and the conversation was dropped. Everyone in the group was fishing for an invite to try out the new pool.

"I WANT to swim in that thing…those tiles came from POMPEII…" Terry was saying.

"Okay…pool party…my house tomorrow afternoon. I'll make sure Vic orders pizza."

"Kat you ROCK!" Heather said. She had been much less of a pain about Vic since the slumber party, and Kat was afraid that there was revenge being planned…and she was out of the loop.

"Okay…someone better tell me what is being planned. I am all for good fun, but Vic hasn't been feeling well this week, and I don't want anyone getting hurt."

"No one will get hurt…we just plan on pushing him in the pool and see if he really looks like a drowned cat…" Amy grinned.

"Okay…that I can go along with." Kat grinned. Some fun and rough housing with the kids might cheer him up. Tayla let out a little moan and started rubbing her arms again. That was something else Kat was worried about. Something was wrong.

"Tay…go home."

"No…Dad's on one of his 'boogie man' kicks. I don't know what happened but the last few months he has been on my case about watching my back, and making sure that Wolverine character doesn't get me."

"He's still trying to scare you with that? I thought that quit in the fifth grade."

"Now it's getting worse…and Ralph and I broke up. He didn't like me trying to give him tips…"

"Well you are better off without him then." George said.

"Yea…but now I don't have a date for the Prom."

The bell rang ending lunch and they all headed to class. Kat grabbed Tayla's arm, but she flinched. "Hey we'll solve the Prom problem, okay…" Kat was having a strange idea about that, but would have to discuss it with Victor first.

"Okay…I just want to get today over with, I know Vic said no more slumber parties, but…do you think I could sleep over sometime, get away from Dad's ghost stories."

"Sure…I'll talk to Vic; if it's okay with your dad…you can stay over tomorrow."

"Thanks, every time he gets on one of these kicks…I have nightmares."

"You aren't the only one; Victor's been having them all week too."

"Damn…I need to get to class. We'll talk later." Tayla ran off down the hall. Kitten slipped into her chemistry class. Josh was there, but since the locker incident he had been quiet and left her alone.

"Hey, Kat, is that big lug taking you to the Prom?" Great just what she needed, Josh to get his courage back.

"That 'big lug' is my husband and yes he is taking me to the Prom." She hissed over her shoulder.

"Hope he is smarter than he looks." Josh whispered back, a menacing tone in his voice.

"I hope YOU are. Don't mess with Victor, Josh." She whispered back.

"I ain't messin with nobody. Just saying…he looks dumb as dirt." She heard the guys behind her snickering. She just hoped no one tried anything. Victor was on edge as it was, they didn't need someone dead right now.

Amy just glared at Josh…and then slipped him a note.

"What's that about?"

"He asked me to the Prom…and I said yes."

"WHAT!" Kat whispered.

"I didn't have a date, don't have a boyfriend and didn't want to go alone." Amy whispered back.

"He's just doing that so that he can pull something on Victor."

"No, he honestly planned on taking you…and was at loose ends. He didn't want to go alone either."

"You believe him!?"

"Yeah I do." The teacher shot them a glare so they shut up. AMY and JOSH going to the Prom; Kat was starting to get worried.

She trudged through the fence. The pool was done, columns in place, awning up, water lapping against the side as the filter worked quietly. The crystal clear water showed the swimming mermaid in the bottom of the pool, her gold hair flowing behind her.

"Like it." He said from the porch.

"Love it." She replied, running into his arms. "Gang wants to swim tomorrow, any objections."

"Nope…we'll break it in tonight." She grinned at her Tom Cat. It was a good thing those awnings weren't see through.

"Tay wants to sleep over. Her dad is telling ghost stories again and giving her nightmares." He pulled her down into the chair, across his lap. He would never admit it, but he loved to cuddle.

"Ghost stories?"

"Yeah…she has her own personal boogie man that her dad threatens her with, and when he does, she gets these nightmares."

"Her dad's Al, right?"

"Yeah."

"I'll have a talk with him, get him ta back off."

"No, Vic, she's just not feeling good, and these stories are just making it worse."

"What's wrong?"

"She smells weird…and her arms are hurting. I think it was just the chemicals they were treating the pool with and that she pulled something at the mete yesterday. She did complain of a headache and that things smelled funny."

"Kitten…yeah, Tayla can stay over tomorrow. I definitely need to call her dad though. I don't like the sound of this."

"I think it's just because Ralph broke up with her after the slumber party." She said, rubbing her cheek against his shoulder.

"Jerk." He growled.

"Yeah, now she doesn't have a date for the Prom and with only a week, well she's not happy."

"Myst will be here, want her to shift to a guy and take her." 

"EWWWW…gross. Myst is a chick." He chuckled.

"Well, I do know a couple other people…let me make some calls, have Myst bring someone with her tomorrow."

"TOMORROW…I forgot…my dress." She grinned.

"Let me go call her, I need to see if Jan's available. He and Tay might just hit it off."

"He's not like fifty and balding is he?"

"No…he's a friend. He's in college, nice guy…as long as ya don't piss him off, then he causes earthquakes. His name's Janos Petros. I think Tay will like him."

"I hope so…she hates blind dates."

"That's why I am inviting him tomorrow. Let them get to know each other, and then…who knows." He stood up and dumped her on the porch floor.

"Jerk."

He grinned at her and opened the back door of the house. "Go get changed. I want ta see you swimmin in that pool." He was dialing a number in the phone.

She ran up stairs. She could hear him on the phone.

"Myst."

"You gona make it tomorrow?"

"Gonna have kids here…so be discreet."

"No, just don't want ya shiftin around too much, they're good kids, don't want ta spook 'em."

"Fine…Kitten's lookin forward to the dress. Bring a swimsuit. It's a pool party."

"Ha Ha…Hey is Janos around?"

"Yeah…Avalanche."

"Good, could ya talk him into coming with you?"

"Hey, he's a good kid, and well one of Kitten's friends got dumped before the Prom and…"

"NO, I ain't gonna make him take her…but if they hit it off, he might actually think about asking her."

"Fine…tell him it's a pool party, with friends of my wife."

"Myst, the kid's eighteen and in college for fuck's sake. He's GOING to want to see teenage girls in bikinis." He laughed. She came running down the stairs and he glared at her…"Speaking of bikinis…I think I need to buy the wife one…this one piece shit has ta go."

She stuck her tongue out at him and ran for the pool.

"See ya tomorrow…and bring Jan." He hung up the phone and stripped out of his shirt.

"I hope they put a high grade filter in this thing…you shed." She shouted at him as he slipped off his jeans. He was wearing a tight pair of swimtrunks under them.

"You are in trouble, Kitten." He shouted as he jumped into the pool.

She swam to the far end of the pool, but he was a strong swimmer and caught her, pinning her against the side. "Damn…I ain't sure if you are a Kitten or a fish…but cats eat fish…"

"Don't you dare…I don't want blood in the pool."

"Did I say anything about blood?" He said as he slipped a finger under the leg elastic of her suit.

"Victor…" She moaned. She loved it when he was playful like this.

"Yep…gonna have ta get you a bikini…this thing is going to go." She felt his claws extending against her skin.

"VIC! This is my team suit. Don't you dare shred it!" He growled low, as she slipped the shoulders down her arms. He reached over and hit the switch for the awning, lowering it down for privacy. It let in light, but sheltered them from prying eyes.

"You have about two seconds to get that thing off." He growled, she quickly struggled with the soaked spandex, finally dropping the suit on the side of the pool. He leaned down, capturing her mouth with his. She didn't bother thinking after that…until the phone interrupted them.

"FUCK!" He growled, and swam back to the other side of the pool.

"You know we could ignore it…" She said.

"Your Dad's due back today…I might have to go pick him up at the airport."

"Oh…" She pulled herself up on the side of the pool and tried to pull the wet spandex of her suit back on. After a few moments she gave up. Bikinis would be the order of the day at home, preferably string ones…easy to get in and out of.

"Hello."

She swam up just in time to hear a familiar voice on the other end of the line.

"Hello, Uncle Vic."

"Megan…I told you…"

"I know what you said. I am in trouble, please. I don't want to hurt you or Kitten or my parents, but I need that money."

"Damn it, kid. What are you mixed up in, I'll take care of it, but you aren't getting any more money."

"Oh, I'll get the money one way or the other...either you send it, or I claim the reward on your head. I don't want Kitten getting hurt so…I was hoping you'd see reason."

"Reward; how the hell is there a reward? They think I'm dead."

"All I know is it's out there…Cops offering one, some guy named Stryker offering one…I have a choice as to which one I decide to take. Then there's the one the Xavier Institute is offering…I just can't decide."

"Megan…" Kat grabbed the phone from his hand.

"You listen to me, sis…you aren't getting another penny from us. I don't care why you need the money, blackmail just won't work. If you had ASKED instead of doing your usual manipulative shit, we'd have helped, you screwed yourself on this one…and DON'T call back!" She slammed the phone down.

"Kitten!"

"I'm sorry but she has been doing shit like this for years and I am sick of it."

"Okay…she's your sister." He slipped his arms around her, but they didn't do anything to warm her, her skin was covered in goose bumps.

"Sorry, Vic…talk about a mood killer; I'm going upstairs, get dressed."

"Okay…" He let her go; she padded down the hallway and up the stairs. A hot shower might help. She climbed into the tub, hanging the wet swim suit on the towel rack to dry. She was still shivering when he joined her. He picked her up, wrapped her in a towel and carried her to the bed.

"Try to get some sleep, Kitten." He sounded worried. She closed her eyes, and he covered her with the blankets.


	10. Chapter 10

Kittens Have Claws, Too.

Sabretooth has found his mate. Does he have the patience to wait for her?

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**

Thanks again to my Co Author and Beta…Lady Mage

Takerslady - Megan will get hers...Victor has his own agenda with Janos and as for Amy...she wanted a date for the Prom.

Cerdwyn3 - How Megan found out about Stryker will be explained...however there will be some things left hanging...can't do a sequel without hanging Chads.

Erisah - Thank you again...

Tahlmorah - Good catch...on the rique comment. That one is a private joke between my husband and myself and I threw it in between Kat and Victor...it WILL be explained but not till the second story.

Chapter 10

_Damn. Megan needs a lesson, but I ain't gonna do it_. He thought to himself.

He was sitting in the dark, the smoke from his cigar billowing around his head, the only light in the room when he drew in a lung full. He was angry, cold angry and he'd had enough. Yeah he had watched her grow, but she was just a bad apple. He had been hoping she would get caught up in all the mess in New York with that damned Web Slinger and the Green Goober, but no such luck.

She was mixed up in something - that was for sure. She sounded scared, scared enough that he had almost given in, until Kitten stepped up. Megan was telling the truth about needing the money, but he'd done all he was going to do for her in that department. She could call whoever she wanted - he wouldn't be here when they came; Kitten wouldn't be here when they came, and if they were - well dead cops didn't bother him a bit. As for the Geeks – he'd dealt with them before, he would again.

Myst would be here tomorrow - he looked at the clock - today. He'd have a talk with old Bluebutt. He wouldn't DO anything, but maybe, just maybe Myst would look in on the kid, convince her that she might be safer finding herself a sugar daddy and shaking him down instead of trying to fleece Vic. And if not, well accidents happened all the time in New York, every day. Kitten would grieve a little, so would Dave and Diane, but they'd get over it. He took another long drag on his cigar, the red light from the end highlighting his face.

He needed to shake himself out of this. He was happy; for the first time in his life that he could remember, but he was starting to feel that urge, that need…these nightmares had him ready for a job. He needed to kill something and soon, something human. Wildlife just wasn't much of a challenge.

He had another problem, Al's kid. He knew exactly what was happening, he was going to have another kid to take care of, at least until they could find her a mate, and from the sounds of things her nightmares were as bad as his. He knew EXACTLY who Al would use as a boogie man for his kid. He let his mind drift back nearly twenty years.

_The ground around the compound was covered in blood. He wouldn't have even stopped, but he smelled the Runt. Some fun on the way to a job, it made his day. He started to slip into the compound when he noticed the emblem on the fence, Hydra. Shit. He didn't want to get mixed up with them. A moan near his feet grabbed his attention._

_The guy moaned again. He almost left him to die, but he noticed the pattern of the cuts. Runt had been here. He grabbed the survivor and threw him over his shoulder. Maybe he could get some information out of him before he died._

_He dragged him back into the woods, where a camp fire wouldn't be noticed, and started bandaging his wounds._

_"Stop…no! I got a wife!" The man was delirious. He almost left, but something made him stay. This guy had survived…against Wolverine, that deserved some respect. He cleaned his wounds again, and managed to get some pain killers into him. By morning he was better, the fever gone, and sleeping soundly. _

_His guest didn't look like the regular Hydra crew, so he rifled the man's pockets. Wallet, ID, even a picture of a pretty girl with bright green eyes and dark red hair, inside the money pocket was a folded up piece of paper, a contract. The guy was a hired guard, nothing more. Vic figured he didn't even know what he was guarding. He thought about slitting his throat, but something stopped him. Someone once told him you catch more flies with honey…maybe it was time to try it._

_Victor cooked a couple squirrels that had gotten too close to camp, and made a broth for his guest. When the man's eyes opened, the flash of fear was replaced by relief._

_"Damn…what was that thing?"_

_"What thing…I found ya nearly dead."_

_"That creature that attacked us…had these bone things coming out of his hands, really pissed off."_

_"That would be a Wolverine."_

_"I'm Al…Al Jackson. Thanks man, I owe you my life. My wife…well I ain't takin freelance work like this again, it ain't worth the cash."_

_"Married…and you freelance. You're a sucker for punishment."_

_"Don't I know it! I was hopin for enough money ta take a couple years off, start a family."_

_"Kid, it looks like you will be takin those years off anyway, he cut ya up pretty bad." The man's dark skin had a grey cast to it from the blood loss._

_"I know."_

_Victor thought about the idea that had been forming in his head the last few years. He had a couple guys he worked with regularly. David his explosives guy and Greg his sniper; they didn't do all the jobs with him, but complicated ones, they were reliable, and he was taking more and more complicated jobs. Maybe a full time team wasn't a bad idea._

_"Kid…if ya want full time work…with benefits, I am lookin for a couple more guys."_

_"No offense, but who the hell are you."_

_"Victor Creed."_

_"DAMN! I've heard of you. You took out that Russian camp…alone."_

_"That was nothin…been puttin together a regular team. You stood up ta Wolverine, believe me, that's test enough for me. Bout the only person I know of that can stand up ta him is me, so let's just say I'm impressed."_

_"Thanks…I'll have ta think about it." Al said._

That was three years before Kitten was born. Al had worked out great. Not only a good all around merc, but one of the best damned camp cooks they had ever had. When he finally retired, they had missed him. Vic hadn't been surprised when he found out Al had gone into law…and become a judge. He was a smart kid then…he just had one major fear, Wolverine.

Kitten was turning eighteen in four weeks. One week after graduation, and then he would be able to get back to work. Jan was a good kid, reliable, and a summer off of college wouldn't kill him. He was almost glad Al's kid needed a date. It would give him time to convince Jan to come along on some jobs.

His email had been overflowing, nothing really tempting, but the shear number had him itching to get back to work. He had a fleeting thought of him and Kitten taking on some of them; but in the dark, alone, he admitted he loved her, needed her, but there was no way in hell he was going to let her be a part of that life. She was just going to have to accept it, and she would. Her mom would help. That was one thing about her being Dave's kid. He didn't have to worry about trying to explain a whole bunch of crap, she had lived the life all of hers.

He heard her steps as she came down the stairs.

"In the living room, Kitten." He could hear the tension in his voice. She was worried. He hated waking her up like this.

"Are you okay, another nightmare?"

"Naa, just thinkin." She slipped onto his lap. Holding her like this reminded him of when she was little and fought to sit here. He heaved a sigh, and felt the tension in his body let go. "Actually I was thinkin about how I met Tayla's dad."

"Oh…?"

"Yeah…what did she say, about those boogie man stories?"

"Vic, it's nothing, something her dad has scared her with for years."

"Does he call it 'Wolverine'?"

"Yeah…how did you know that?" He felt her start in his lap.

"I've encountered him a few times." He stroked her back, easing her back against his chest.

"He's just a story to scare kids…"

"No. He's real…like I am."

"What?"

"Kitten, I know people who scare their kids with stories about Sabretooth."

"You aren't a boogie man."

"To some people…I am."

"Then they are idiots."

"I don't think so…and if you ever saw me the way they do, you wouldn't either." Shit, even he could hear the tension in his voice. He didn't want to worry her; but something was bothering him, something he couldn't quite put a finger on.

"Vic, what's going on?"

"It's nothin."

"Bullshit."

"I am thinkin about goin back ta work; puttin together a team again. All this domestic stuff has been nice, don't get me wrong, but my hands and feet are startin ta itch."

"Can I come, too?"

"No. You have college to think about. This is gonna be long term, if I do it, but I'll be home a lot, especially at first. Maybe, later you can join me on some of my trips, but I don't want you involved in my work."

"Vic…"

"I mean it. You don't need ta end up like me, and I don't want ya seein me at work…seein what I can do. It's one thing ta understand it up here." He tapped her on the head. "And another to see it, to feel it in here." HE slipped a hand along her ribs, and over her heart. He knew she would smell his small fear spike.

"What?"

"I don't want ta lose you. You make me whole. I can't explain it, but I don't want you ta see that, see how I am, what I am like. It ain't pretty, and it ain't somethin that would be easy lovin me after you've seen it."

"Vic, I love you…no matter what."

"Baby, trust me. You don't want to see it."

"Someday, Vic, I will, and I want you to know, you won't LOSE me over it. I know you can be fierce, dangerous, deadly, and you do it for money. I also know you enjoy it, almost as much as you enjoy being in bed with me." He glared down at her upturned face. "So get over yourself and get back to bed. We have decades to worry about it. I want to go to college, and there will be times I don't want you under foot…like mid terms and finals…and spring break in Maui." She said the last as she jumped out of his lap and ran for the stairs.

"LIKE HELL you are goin to Maui without me, Kitten."

He caught her at the bedroom door and threw her on the bed. He sighed as he slipped inside her. He still had four weeks, and was going to enjoy every moment of them, but he just couldn't shake this nagging feeling that something was going to happen.

XXXXXXXXX

She woke up more tired than when she went to sleep. He was going to be leaving soon, and she wanted every moment she could get with him, before he was gone and she would have to worry. She remembered what it was like – when her Dad was gone. Megan had ignored it, but Kat was the one up with her Mom in the middle of the night, calming the panic attacks, reminding her Mom that Dad always came home.

"Kitten," He said as he came out of the bathroom. "I won't ever be gone long. Remember what I said, more than two weeks and you hightail it to your parents place. I'll look for you there first."

"Promise me…you will be home enough that I won't miss you terribly." She whispered. He climbed back in bed, and pulled her back against his chest.

"I promise ta try."

"That will do." She snuggled back against him; he was already stirring against her back.

"Enough of that, we are having a party later and Myst and Jan should be here soon, and you want Tayla to stay the night…although you screaming like I am killin ya ain't gonna help her nightmares." He laughed against her hair.

"Maybe she will get the idea…that she's supposed to ENJOY sex instead of endure it." She quipped back. "I hope this friend of yours is nice – and knows what he is doing."

"He is. Janos is a good kid, and if he does take her to the Prom, I'll cut his hands off if he even THINKS about sex."

"Vic…he's a GUY. He's going to think about sex…"

"He touches her I'll gut him."

"What if SHE wants him to?"

"I'll gut her, too." He growled. "Get out of bed, woman."

"Well that's a first….usually you are growling at me to get IN bed. Am I cooking breakfast?"

"You're funny."

They both heard a knock on the door. SHIT! She wasn't even dressed yet. She jumped out of bed and ran into the closet. She could hear him pulling on clothes and going down to answer the door. She was still digging around when she heard a familiar female voice behind her.

"I hope you at least plan on wearing some kind of undergarments under this thing." She turned around. "That swim suit is cute, Pussycat, but just doesn't have the right support." The blue woman stood there, a long black zippered garment bag hanging from one finger, as if she were about to drop it. Kat finished tying the back of her bikini top and ran out into the room.

"Get dressed so you can try this on." Mystique grinned at her.

Kat grinned. She couldn't wait to see the dress. She rummaged through the drawers until she found a white strapless bra with matching panties.

"That's better than the bathing suit, Sweetness." Myst was still grinning.

"Let me see." Kat was practically jumping to get her hands on the garment bag.

Mystique unzipped the bag, and hung it from the top rail of the bed, the one Victor had repaired. The dress was beautiful. A white sash across the chest with black flowers embroidered on it, a black lace skirt that went all the way to the floor and the back had the draped cape, which hung right to the start of the skirt, right at her knees. She slipped the dress on over her head and grinned. She turned and looked in the full length mirror on the armoire. It was perfect. She hugged the blue mutant before slipping out of the dress and hanging it back in the bag.

"I love it, Myst."

"I'm glad. I actually had fun making it. I never did get to go to a Prom, never saw what the fuss was about."

"You know they are still looking for chaperones. You could come…just for fun."

"I don't think so, Kitten."

"Come on…at least you would know what the fuss was about."

"Don't tempt me, Sweetness…I wouldn't be able to stop laughing."

"I have a feeling Vic will have the same problem."

"Well, there is the idea of seeing the Tom Cat in a monkey suit. That might almost be worth it." The two women laughed. Kat could hear male voices downstairs.

"Guess we better go down…But you might want to get dressed first, Kittycat." Myst said as she walked out of the room. She morphed her skin, covering herself with a white string bikini. "Don't want to scare the natives."

"You don't think the blue skin will?" She shouted down the stairs after the shape shifter. Mystique's laughter was her only answer. Kat ran back into the bedroom and put on the bikini again. She could smell breakfast cooking. She ran down the stairs and right into the arms of a Greek God.

He had dark wavy hair, olive skin and the bluest eyes she had ever seen. He grinned at her and she grinned back. "Tell me you are Tayla." He said as he held her against his chest, his hands drifting down her back.

"Sorry…I'm Katherine, Vic's wife."

"Damn…VICTOR you are one LUCKY son of a bitch." He shouted into the kitchen. She heard her husband laugh in response.

"Don't forget it Jan, and get your fucking hands off my wife's ass." Victor growled menacingly. She grinned up at the Adonis as he dropped his arms and let her go.

"So is this friend of yours as pretty as you are."

"You will just have to wait and find out." She slipped into the kitchen, Jan right behind her. She was amazed…he was pretty, but it was her Tom Cat's ruggedness that got her blood boiling, especially the sight that greeted her in the kitchen - it was going to be a long day, especially if she had to keep her hands to herself. He was standing at the stove, was back in the swim trunks he had taken off last night, and they didn't leave a whole lot to the imagination. She kept looking at how they clung to his sculpted ass, and trying to figure out a way to get him back upstairs and in bed.

"Want us to take off for a while?" Mystique whispered in her ear.

"What?"

"You are drooling, Kitten." Mystique gave Victor's ass an appraising glance. "Easy to see why, I almost miss it myself…ALMOST."

"You two quit…if nothing else, for Jan's ego." He growled as he pulled the ham steak out of the skillet and started scrambling eggs. "Kitten, you need to cool off, go grab the hash browns from the freezer." She jumped up and opened the door…and a whole load of what looked like snow landed on her head and down her nearly naked body.

"That should work." She glared at him as he grinned over at Jan. "Been waitin a week ta do that." She picked up a hand full of snow and threw it at him. "That's for the damned breakfast…want to go for the slumber party." She just glared at Victor, and threw him the package of hash browns. Mystique and Janos were laughing at the table.

"Is this a war, Mr. Creed?"

"Only if you want it to be…" He said menacingly. She was going to have to think about it. Prank wars could be fun…but he was GOOD, she hadn't even SUSPECTED he was up to anything. She had been in and out of that freezer all week, he had to have planned it and had everything set up days ago.

The rest of the morning was spent in light hearted banter, even Mystique seemed more relaxed, if still a little sad. Then the kids started to arrive. First it was George, who nearly fainted at the site of Janos…and then again at the site of Victor in the swim trunks.

"Lordie, I hope that pool ain't heated…you boys are hot enough to make it boil." George finally said. Jan looked a little uncomfortable but Victor just laughed.

"Georgie Porgie…stick to your boy toy…ya ain't our type. You couldn't handle us."

Mystique laughed. Kat had a feeling today was going to be interesting. Amy, Terry and Heather arrived together, and she started to wonder if the pool party was a good idea. They had a Greek god to drool over and she was wondering if she was going to have to send Victor upstairs to change - no one could take their eyes off of her husband's ass.

"Ok, guys…POOL…" she growled. They all laughed and took off for the back yard. Tayla and Dana arrived next, and she was glad. Dana was giving Tayla a hard time about Ralph.

"Come on, you are better off without him, who wants a guy that won't take advice, especially about THAT." Dana was saying as they came in the door.

"It's not that. I just HATE going to the Prom by myself, and…" Tayla stopped dead in her tracks.

"Tayla, Dana, this is Janos, a friend of Victor's he's in town this weekend so we invited him over."

"Nice to meet you." Dana said, grinning.

"Yeah. Nice to meet you." Tayla said. Kat was pleased by her reaction, Ralph was definitely history.

"My friends call me Jan." He said as he escorted them out to the pool. Maybe this hadn't been such a bad idea after all.

Kat trailed her fingers in the warm water of the pool, the air mattress sticking to her wet back, as she looked over at Tayla.

"Tay…did your dad say you could stay over?" They were floating in one end of the pool, the others playing water volleyball in the other end.

"Yeah…I just hope my – nightmares – don't keep you guys up."

"I am more worried about our nighttime activities keeping you from getting any sleep." Kat grinned.

"You want to hear something weird. Sometimes, when I wake up from these dreams, I am not scared…more – I don't know – frustrated, I wake up all hot and bothered sometimes. I would even imagine the dreams sometimes with Ralph, and sometimes it made it easier."

"Whoa…that's twisted."

"Well, it's not like he's a real guy or anything, I don't even know what he looks like, just that he has these weird horn like things on his head, and three claws on each hand. Sometimes I dream he grabs me from behind, one hand at my throat, the other one groping me, kinda like Ralph used to, and I – kinda – get excited by it. I know I am sick."

"You are NOT sick. Sometimes – you fantasize about things, and that's all it is, a fantasy. I used to fantasize that Vic would come in my bedroom window at home and put his hand over my mouth so I didn't make any noise and…well at the time I knew the mechanics but not how it was supposed to feel, believe me, the real thing is SO much better."

"Maybe for you – evidently, Ralph didn't know what he was doing, so frankly the fantasy is better than what I had…God did I just say that. I have NIGHTMARES about being raped by this guy, and I am fantasizing about him too. Kat I am SICK!"

"NO! You had a boyfriend that SUCKED. You are NOT SICK! You are a normal teen age girl. It isn't just guys who think about sex constantly." The two of them giggled uncontrollably.

"Just what are you two giggling about?" A bright red head came up between them, her white teeth shining against her blue skin.

"Sex." Kat said with a grin at Mystique. "Any pointers Oh Wise One. I told Tayla that girls think about sex as much as guys do."

"God, girls are worse. Guys figure out pretty quickly how to jack off, with us, it takes a bit of experimentation to find the right spots and find the right way to play with them. At least with my mutation I can experiment both ways" Mystique flashed an even broader grin at both girls.

"Ugghhh! Not AGAIN!" Tayla blushed and rolled off the air mattress and into the water.

Kat splashed Myst and grinned. She jumped into the water and went to join the volleyball game. After a couple hours she went inside to order the pizza. Most of the kids were in the pool but Myst and Jan were in the house with Victor for a moment.

"…take care of it. It sounds like the kid needs a lesson in family loyalty." Myst was saying.

"I am good for whatever you need me to do. I planned on taking this summer off anyway, Tooth." Jan was saying as she stepped into the house.

"Just a second, Avalanche; what do you need, Kitten." His voice was different, cool, no cold, as if he were angry with her.

"I was just going to order pizza." She felt strangely defensive.

"I'll take care of it; go back out with the others. We'll be out shortly." She didn't like the tone in his voice.

"Vic…"

"Kitten, go back outside. We discussed this." He was snarling at her.

"FINE!" She stormed back out to the pool. That was it…she had four weeks until he would be leaving…the prank war was on.

She signaled Amy and Terry, and they came over. The three of them put their heads together and started planning. The three came out of the house, and Vic came over to nuzzle her neck. She'd get even with that Tom Cat, making her feel like she didn't belong in her own house.

"Pizza's ordered." He whispered.

"Thanks." She said coolly pulling away from him. She walked back over to the pool, leaving him confused.

"Kitten…" She almost winced at the pain in his voice.

She jumped in, ignoring him.

She swam across the pool, not looking back. Let him feel a bit of it, damn him. The sudden loud splash told her the plan had worked. She turned and looked…he came up spluttering and swearing, Amy and Terry laughing, Jan with them…they had gotten his own 'team mate' in on the prank. She turned and gave him a sweet smile.

"That was for the snow…next!" He chased her halfway around the pool.

"Kitten, you KNOW I hate water…without warning. After this week, I can't believe you would go along with something like that." He snarled softly to her, when he finally caught her. She was pinned against the far end of the pool near the hot tub. He was so focused on her he wasn't paying attention. Heather and George poured the bucket of hot water over his head.

"THAT was for the slumber party…" Heather said with a smirk on her face.

"YOU are all dead…" He roared, picking Kitten up and throwing her back across the pool. The entire group of kids jumped in and started trying to dunk him. Even Janos and Mystique joined in…all of them against Vic…and he managed to stay above the water, while all of them ended up dunked at one point or another.

They were all laughing and tired when they finally gave up. Kat started to swim away, when he grabbed her around her waist and pulled her against his chest. "War's on!" He whispered against her ear, letting his knees relax and dropping them both to the bottom of the pool like rocks.

This time she was the one who came up spluttering. He was going to pay for that, later. She climbed out of the pool and wrapped a towel around her waist. The rest of the evening was spent eating pizza and relaxing by the pool. The kids left not long after the pizza was gone, Mystique and Janos had booked rooms at the hotel for the night so it was just Kat, Victor and Tayla for a late dinner.

"Damn…Jan is nice, sweet, and so cute." Tayla was gushing.

"He's a nice kid. Quick on his feet, and working his way through college, glad you like him." Victor was throwing a quick dinner together for the three of them.

Kat was watching Tayla. She kept rubbing her arms.

"Are you okay?" She asked her.

"Yeah, I just…my arms are hurting, bad. My wrists are burning, and it hurts almost to my elbows."

"How's your headache?"

"Honestly, better now that everyone has left. I felt like I was going nuts. I know sound carries over water, but I could hear you and Amy and Terry across the pool, whispering." Kat looked over at Victor. His face was clouded, angry; it was frightening. She could smell his anger; she didn't know why he was so pissed.

"You said your arms hurt. How long has that been going on, Tayla." Kat looked at her husband. He hardly knew Tay, why was he asking?

"It started before the slumber party so last weekend. It's been going on all week."

"And the hearing…Kitten said you were smelling things weird too."

"The smells started bothering me about four days ago, and the hearing yesterday."

"Victor…what's going on?"

"I ain't sure. Her scent is changing, almost as if she…were changing what she was…"

"What do you mean?" She could smell the fear from Tayla.

"Tayla…have you been hurt recently, bad enough that you should be really hurt?"

"I fell off my bike last weekend, before this started, scraped my leg up pretty bad on some gravel, I thought. I walked my bike home but it wasn't that bad, just a light scrape, see not even a scar now." She said showing them her leg.

Victor sniffed the air, growled and then stormed out of the room. She heard him slam the back door as he went out on the porch.

"Well, at least there won't be any boogie men to deal with here." Kat was saying when Victor gave a loud roar from the back yard. Kat jumped up, claws out, looking for trouble. The sharp smell of blood in the room shocked her. She looked over at Tay…she was staring at her hands – or rather the twelve inches of bone that were extending out of them.

Victor came running into the room, claws out, eyes black, sniffing the air. He looked at Tayla and groaned.

"FUCK! I was afraid of that."

"Victor, what's going on?" Kat asked him

"I thought she was starting to smell familiar…like a scent I should know. THOSE confirm it."

"Why?" Tay asked him, still staring at the things sticking out of her hand.

"Tay, ya need ta relax, let the muscles in your arms relax and they will go back in." He grabbed her left arm and began rubbing, trying to get the muscles to relax. The first one, between her index and middle finger began to slowly retract into her arm.

"How do you know that?"

"I've been there…with someone else when they first showed up. We've had a few discussions on how they work, so I know the basics."

"Victor…who has things like that?" Kat asked. He ignored her.

"They are a type of claw, they are bone, but harder than most of the bone in your body, they will cut through softer things, wood, fabric, skin and bone, some softer metals. I understand they hurt like a bitch when they break too, but they grow back."

"Who has them?" Katherine demanded again. He was starting to scare her.

"A guy named Logan…he ain't exactly a friend, but we have worked together a time or two over the years."

"What kind of mutation is it?" Kat asked. She was almost afraid of the answer.

"She's a feral. Like us, well more like Logan, but feral."

"Wait a minute! Feral like - like going through what we went through - feral?"

"Yes, Kitten, she'll go through heat like you did, eventually. But at least I KNOW where to find her fucking mate – I'm just gonna have ta beat some sense into him first."

"Beat some sense into him?" Tayla asked. "Why would I want someone like that?"

"Kid, it ain't gonna be easy for you, any way you slice and dice it. Logan's an ass, no two ways about it. You are gonna WANT someone like that because if ya don't you will die. It ain't easy, bein a female feral, matin's a bitch. And as for Logan, well he ain't gonna like the whole matin idea, and sure as fuck ain't gonna like the idea of me being anywhere near his mate - let's just say he and I have a mutual admiration society - admire the sight of each other's blood on the pavement."

"Oh…great!" Tayla moaned. "This is almost as bad as the damned stories my Dad tells."

"Tay, tell me about these stories your dad is telling, you said they give you nightmares." Kat was trying to distract her from the pain from the new claws. She had finally gotten the last one to slide back into her arm.

"Ohh…GOD! Talk about nightmares. Dad's stories keep getting worse, now the nightmares are – well – more graphic. They started when I was a kid – Dad telling me about this guy that had these horns on his head and" she paused and looked at her hands "– had three things that came out of his hands, fought like a demon, and nearly killed him. Told me if I didn't behave, the boogie man - Wolverine – would get me. Now, well the stories he's telling are worse, 'don't go into a dark alley, The Wolverine might be there, and you wouldn't like what he does to young girls. Some of the things Dad says, well they come in my dreams, and I wake up scared out of my mind. I see this shadow with horns and three – long -" She turned to Victor, a look of realization on her face.

"This friend of yours…he has claws like this doesn't he?"

"Uhhhmm – yeah. His are metal though."

"Metal?"

"He was … experimented on, his skeleton was bonded ta an alloy called adamantium, from what I can tell from the last time I saw him, his memory is shot all ta hell. Yes Tayla, His name is Logan. He goes by the code name Wolverine." Kat watched as all color drained from Tayla's face.

"Wait – my mate – is the boogie man my dad has been scaring me with my entire life? That I have nightmares about grabbing me and…"

"And what Tayla?" Victor snarled. Katherine was getting worried about his anger. "Rapin ya? I can guarantee that ain't the Runt's style." It was almost as if he were defending this 'Wolverine.'

"The Runt?"

"He's the Runt; it's what I've always called him. He can't beat me in a fight, but he's decent. I can't say what kind of person he is, not these days, but used ta be he'd work for who ever paid the bills, as long as it didn't go against his moral code. The last time I saw him…he was workin for some bald guy in New York, takin care of some kids at a school."

"This – Runt - is WOLVERINE. The same guy that nearly killed my dad…I thought it was just something he made up to explain those strange scars. YOU MEAN HE'S REAL!"

"Yes, Tay…"

"OH MY GOD! He's going to come for me…" Kat watched her face contort in horror.

"Tay we won't let that happen."

"Kitten, we can't stop it. He's her mate."

"WHAT!" They both shouted at him.

"What we can do is control when and how he comes, but he WILL come, or she will die."

"I'll NEVER give in to him. He's a MONSTER!" Tayla shouted, her body trembling in fear.

"Tay, you have years to worry about it. I wouldn't say NEVER if I were you…stranger things have happened." He grabbed both of her arms and shook her. "I have heard the Runt called a lot of things – hell, I've accused the Runt of being a lot of things – but never a MONSTER; a dumbass, an asshole, an over thinking impotent bitch of a woman, but never a monster."

"Impotent?" Tay asked a puzzled look on her face. Even Kat had to do a double take at that.

"Not like that…he just THINKS too much, makes him slow, makes him not act when he needs to. As far as I know, he – functions - just fine." Even Victor's golden skin was tinged with a blush. "Tay you have years to worry about it, if you have been dormant, you shouldn't go into heat for several years, perhaps as many as ten, and by that time, we can arrange for you to meet him, get used to him so that when the time comes, you don't mind."

"I have been afraid of him my entire life…and now you tell me I have to - mate –lets be honest – FUCK - him…someday, maybe tomorrow, maybe ten years from now. You don't seem to know a WHOLE HELL OF A LOT about this."

"Someday is a long way off, Tay. I will tell ya what I know, alright, tomorrow. Try ta get some sleep, I'll talk ta your dad tomorrow, see if we can get him ta back off on the Wolverine stuff."

"Please don't. He won't care if I am a mutant, but this whole Wolverine thing will freak him out. The idea that the man that nearly killed him might someday be his…son-in-law SHIT…he'll kick me out for sure."

Kat and Tayla went up stairs. Kat could tell Tay was still upset.

"Hey, if you need anything, Vic and I are across the hall. It's not THAT bad you know. If Victor knows him he can't be that bad." Even Kat knew that sounded false. Tayla just looked at her, and gave a weak smile.

"Just keep the noise down, I am going to try to get some sleep…I KNOW I am going to have nightmares now."

"Tay - try not to think about it. There are some really nice things about being feral; tracking, hunting, knowing exactly what people are whispering behind your back at school." Kat grinned at her.

"Maybe, but at least Victor isn't the boogie man."

"Well…you might be surprised. Remind me tomorrow, to have him give you the boogie man speech." They giggled and Tay closed the guestroom door.

Kat started to go back downstairs but all the lights were out. He was sitting in the dark again. She decided to leave him alone, for now.

"I am getting a bath, Vic." She shouted down the stairs.

"I'll be up in a bit." She heard him from the study.

XXXXXXXXXX

He waited until he heard the water running and then picked up the phone. He called Mystique's cell phone.

"Yeah."

"Hey…you gonna take care of what we discussed earlier?"

"You didn't say, do you want me to kill her, 'Tooth?"

"Only as a last resort, she is family."

"So, put the fear of Victor into her?"

"Find out what the hell is goin on, fix it if ya can, take care of it if ya can't, and if the kid causes too much trouble, or puts you in any danger, do what ya have ta do. Have ya checked on Magnet Head?"

"I've been trying to get in to see him, but no luck yet. I have a meeting with the president next week. Maybe I can get presidential approval."

"Good luck, Bluebutt. Any word from green boy?"

"Nothing since Liberty Island."

"Okay. Tell Jan, he's taking Tayla to the Prom, I expect him ta stick around. I'll pay his hotel bill."

"Is everything alright, Tigger?"

"Nothing a coat of adamantium on her skeleton wouldn't fix."

"What?"

"Tayla's mutation went active tonight. She's a feral, has claws like Wolverine."

"LUCKY girl!"

"Myst…just because you have an obsession with the Runt doesn't mean everyone does. She is scared to death."

"Scared of that overgrown badger…poor kid, she must not have much in her life to be scared of."

"Just check on the Runt's whereabouts and keep me informed, if she goes into heat, I am gonna have ta get him here quick."

"Why?"

"Myst, we'll talk about that later. Just do what I asked."

"You owe me, 'Tooth."

"Yea, I'll remember that the next time your ass is in trouble and you come runnin ta me for help."

He hung up the phone. He still couldn't shake the feeling he was missing something. Tayla would have a body guard for the Prom. Kitten would get her evening, and hopefully Megan would get a good dose of family loyalty and walk a straight line. Now he just had to decide what he was going to do over the summer, Jan was in, if he could find Toad he'd cut him in. Mort could be a pain, but he was good at what he did. There were some up and coming kids he might look into, a good team could handle so much more than one mutant by himself. He heard the drain in the bathroom upstairs and grinned. It was time for bed, and his Kitten deserved his undivided attention.


	11. Chapter 11

Kittens Have Claws, Too.

Sabretooth has found his mate. Does he have the patience to wait for her?

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**

Thanks again to my Co Author and Beta…Lady Mage

Well here it is, the final chapter. I hope it clears up some things, and definitly leaves some things hanging...as the sequel is in the works as I am posting this. For all the great reviews and comments thank you again. This has been one of my favorite projects to work on, and the next one is just as much fun. I have had chapter one of the sequel ready for a month but wanted to get this finished first.

Chapter 11

Bluebutt hadn't been able to find the kid. It was like she had dropped off the face of the earth. He wasn't going to be looking over his shoulder, just because some damned kid thought she could try to blackmail him. He growled.

"Kitten, get a move on, we're gonna be late." He shouted up the stairs for the fifth time. This was her evening, and she was making him wait. Tayla was up there too, getting dressed. He looked over at Jan who just grinned at him.

"Girls take forever to get dressed. I remember my prom. My date was ten minutes late, she was fussing with her hair the whole time."

"Shut up, Kid." He growled. The closer this damned Prom got, the more nervous he was. He wanted things to be nice for Kitten, he didn't want there to be any problems. The principal was going to be bad enough. He had almost refused to allow her to wear the dress Myst had designed, because he said it was too revealing. But when she showed him three other dresses he had approved that were worse than hers, he had to agree to let her wear it.

Next year the school was getting a new principal…just on principle, if he had to gut the man himself. He heard a noise at the top of the stairs and rushed to see if they were ready.

Tayla stepped down the stairs, her teal satin dress clinging to every curve. Janos just better remember his instructions. Kitten came down next and he just stared. He had known Myst was good, but that dress was stunning. Kitten had kept it hidden from him all week, so he would be surprised tonight. He almost stopped the whole evening right there.

"Where is the skirt for that thing?" He asked when he could force words past his dry mouth. She was stunning.

"Vic…it's decent, ok. Nothing's showing."

"No shit…and it…Kitten, you are gorgeous. Can we forget the whole dance thing…?" He was hoping she would say yes. He could think of about one hundred ways to get her out of that dress.

"No." He gulped. The reward at the end of the evening better be worth it.

"The car's out front." He said as he held out his arm for her. She wrapped a black lace shawl around her shoulders that matched the lace skirt of her dress, and then took his arm. He looked over at Janos and Tayla and realized he had forgotten something - the damned corsage. He helped her strap it to the wrist that wasn't wearing her kittens. She had insisted on wearing the set tonight.

He was driving; Jan and Tayla were riding in the backseat. The school had rented the ballroom of one of the large hotels near the convention center for the Prom, and he knew he was going to have to find a place to park, and dreaded parking downtown. Luckily there was valet parking.

He held out his hand and helped her from the car. He was feeling like a teenager himself, something he hadn't felt in…well far too long. They walked in, Jan and Tayla right behind them. There was a table set up right outside the door of the ballroom, and he pulled the tickets out of the pocket of his tuxedo jacket. He was so glad Myst wasn't here to see this.

XXXXXXXXXXX

She had been stunned when she came down the stairs. His hair was pulled back in a black silk tie, and his broad form was encased in black with a white bow tie on his shirt. He had chosen no cumber bun which was fine with her, and the simplicity of his tuxedo was stunning. She had wanted to slip that jacket off of his shoulders and drag him back up to bed, but she had been dreaming of this night for too long.

The ride to the hotel had been quiet. She smiled every time she looked at the small corsage on her arm. A white orchid with black ribbons and tucked into the greenery she would swear was a small sprig of catnip. She was going to have to make him pay for that one.

The last week had been filled with college applications, scholarship applications and practical jokes. The snow had been one thing, but he had switched the controls on the stove so she didn't know which burner would turn on…one time it was the oven, while she was trying to scramble eggs for breakfast. She had to admit he was winning the war, but it was fun to try to outsmart him.

There were certain things that were off limits, rabbits for one – live ones anyway. He had woken up one morning with a white bunny temporary tattoo on his chest. She had laughed all day, because he didn't even realize it, until after lunch. The hair dye in the shower head had been cute as well, Victor with purple hair made her laugh…of course her own being orange hadn't been so funny. Thank god their healing factors fixed the hair issues quickly.

It had been the other 'pranks' that put him ahead in the war. Teasing her until she was begging for release and then rolling over and going to sleep had been the worst. She had been so frustrated all week she had been ready to kill him. At least he had satisfied her last night, but that had only left her wanting more.

Then there was the Tayla issue. Her father had been furious about the way her mutation developed. Victor and Kat had managed to convince him to let Tay move in with them until school was out, which had helped her nightmare situation a bit. Kat was worried about her, though. She didn't seem to be getting a whole lot of sleep. She was spending most nights on the computer researching and trying to find out anything she could about mutants and genetics. She was dragging Kat into it to. It was fascinating.

She shook her head. The lights of the dance floor cut across the darkened room. They found a table to one side of the floor and staked a claim. None of the others had arrived yet. George had convinced Steve to come, Amy and – Kat shuddered – Josh would be along later. Heather was coming with a guy she had met at summer camp. Terry and her boyfriend Bill would be here later. His school's Prom was tonight and they were going to both Proms. Dana and Alex were already there, dancing on the floor.

Victor looked around, before leading her onto the floor – and surprising her again. He really could dance. Not just kid movements, but real dancing. She was stunned. Her mother had made her take some ballroom dancing a few years ago, and she was glad she had. She just let him lead, and relaxed in his arms. This was something they were going to have to do more often.

"You ok, Kitten?" He asked quietly, as he led her around the floor.

"Just a little surprised." She grinned up at him.

"I told ya I could dance." He grinned back.

They danced until the music changed, and he led her back to the table. Tayla and Janos were out dancing to the faster music.

"You want some punch or something?" He asked.

"Please." She sat at the table watching the others on the floor. Tayla was having fun. She didn't have to worry that her date had a thing against mutants, or that he would put moves on that she didn't want. Amy and Josh walked up to the table.

"Hey, Kat; are these seats taken?"

"They are now." She smiled at her friend. She'd even be nice to Josh for tonight.

"Amy, I wanted to sit with my friends."

"That table is full, besides we discussed this." He pouted but sat at the table with them.

"Here you are, Kitten." Vic said from behind her, setting down her glass of punch.

"Thank you, baby." She said with a smile. She still couldn't believe he was doing this for her.

Josh just glared across the table, but politely mumbled "Hi."

George and Steve came in, wearing matching tuxedos. They were so cute, she felt Victor start behind her. She knew Steve wasn't at all what he had been expecting. He was almost as tall as Vic, and almost as broad. Steve didn't have to worry much about problems with coming out of the closet; most people just left him alone.

A new round of slow songs was cued up by the DJ and Victor led her out on the floor again. She had a good view of the entrance to the ballroom and noticed a strange couple dressed all in leather dancing together outside. The woman had long red hair, and the man was wearing a strange looking visor over his eyes. She shrugged and concentrated on following Victor's lead. She was actually enjoying dancing with her husband, when a familiar voice distracted her.

"Mind if Ah cut in, Sugar." She looked over and grinned at the young woman with the white streaks in her hair. She was dressed in a plain black satin gown, her bare arms and shoulders lightly tanned from the pool last week.

"I suppose I don't mind. I was wondering what face you would be wearing tonight, Blue just wouldn't match the dress." She smiled, and stepped back, but Victor wouldn't let her go, in fact his hand at her waist tightened, almost crushing her against him. She looked up at him. His eyes had faded to black.

"What do you want, kid?" He said softly to the woman.

"Just a dance, Sugar." She said with a smile but a tone of menace in her voice.

"Not without gloves." He said his tone just as menacing over Kitten's head.

"You're no fun, Sabretooth." She said just as softly back.

Just then, Kat noticed Janus dancing with this woman's double, except her eyes were yellow. Mystique was dancing with Janos, so who the hell was this?

"Kitten, get out of here. Get the kids and get out. Remember what I told ya."

"Vic…"

"Don't argue with me, baby." He looked down at her, and she could see his fangs and eyes meant business.

The temperature in the room suddenly dropped ten degrees and for a second Kitten thought someone had turned on a fog machine, until she realized the fog wasn't coming from the stage, but from the door.

A white haired woman, with pure white eyes stood there, her tight fitting leather outfit and flowing black and silver cape a stark contrast to the formals the rest of the room was wearing. The young woman who wanted to dance with Victor reached out a bare hand to grab his bare wrist, but Katherine lunged at her, pushing her across the dance floor and into a table across the room. She didn't know why, but that simple movement has seemed threatening to her mate.

"Kitten, I told you to get out of here." He shouted at her amid the screams of indignation as the young woman landed in the middle of a table.

"NO!" She shouted back. "You are my mate, and this is my fucking Prom. If they are going to come after you HERE, they get to deal with ME!" He stepped back a second in shock. She rarely allowed her feral side to show, but now it was out in full force. Suddenly George, Steve, Dana, Alex, Tayla, Janos, and Mystique were all standing with them. The dance floor had cleared, and a row of leather clad individuals and the girl with the streaks were standing across the floor. Two of them were the couple who had been dancing in the entrance, the white haired woman with the fog. A bald man in a wheel chair, dressed in an expensive suit was with them.

She turned and stood next to her mate. If there was going to be a fight, by God she was going to cover his back. She felt more than saw him glance down at her, and smelled his fear. He didn't want her to get hurt. She looked at the few arrayed against them. It wasn't like it was going to be that difficult; the leather clad jerks were outnumbered and out classed.

Suddenly, the entire football team stepped out of the crowd at the edges of the floor. They all lined up behind the leather clad jerks. This wasn't good.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

SHIT! Things were just fine, until the damned kids got involved. He could have handled the X jerks, even with the old man there, Mystique and Avalanche were here. Tayla wasn't good in a fight, but just the shock of her mutation would be an advantage. Kitten needed to get out of here. He didn't want to hurt any of the kids…Josh was a jerk, but he was still just a kid. He looked down at his wife at his side.

NO one was going to hurt his mate. He let out a primal roar, challenging the jerks to come and try. The kid with the eyes raised his hand to his visor, but the red head stopped him. Victor could hear her whisper

"Let Charles try first; there are too many humans who could be hurt."

"Like Creed's going to care about humans getting hurt." He whispered back to her. Victor let out another roar.

"Victor, please…come with us, let us handle this peacefully." The old man said in a calm cultured voice. Victor just growled and sneered. His claws extended and he was ready…ready for whatever they were planning to try, his Kitten would be safe, or he would die protecting her.

"Ain't no peacefully, you attacked first." He said with a growl.

"No one has attacked anyone. You can come with us, and no one will be hurt." The old man said again.

"Yea, sugar, you have a lot ta answer for." He snarled at the girl with the skin. She had almost touched his Kitten; he would have her guts for garters for that. The leather clad team started to move forward, he immediately pushed Kitten behind him, so he could protect her.

"Charles, he's protecting that girl." The red head – Jean, that was her name – said to the old man. Suddenly the entire group arrayed at his sides closed in, creating a wedge with him at the front, Kitten tucked safely behind him, Steve, stood to his left and Janos to his right, just behind him.

"We are not after her; we won't hurt her, Victor. Please come peacefully."

"Over my dead body." He said with a harsh growl. He felt a sinking feeling in his stomach. She would hate him after this, but he couldn't let them take him away, she needed him. "How'd ya find me?"

"I received a very interesting phone call from a young woman who seemed to be in quite a bit of trouble. She told us where to find you, and wanted a reward in return."

"Did ya give her one?" He snarled.

"No."

Shit, Megan was in deep, and dragging him down with her. If he ever saw his sister-in-law again he'd gut her.

"Did ya at least try ta finding her, making sure she was tellin the truth?" He could tell they were confused by his questions.

"Yes, but when we arrived she was gone. I can find no trace of her with…well we could find no trace." He heard an intake of breath from his wife behind him. He could smell her fear and knew it was for her sister. Now his Kitten was afraid, and it was all Megan's fault.

"What'd she tell ya?"

"Why are you asking, Sabertooth? We are here, so she was telling the truth." Said the kid with the glasses, he growled at the kid.

"I'd like ta know what I am being accused of. 'Cuz if it's that Statue of Liberty mess, well I got that cleaned up." He had been working hard, and spending quite a bit of money cleaning things up so his past wouldn't haunt his future.

"Well, Ah have a few issues with that, but no, that ain't why we're here." The kid with the poison skin said.

"Rogue, enough." The old man turned back to Victor. "The young woman told us you would be attending this event, with the intentions of causing havoc. I simply wish to remove you so that the festivities can go on as planned.

"The only havoc created has been by you and your goons, Xavier. I came to this 'event' to be with…fuck – it ain't even worth explainin. You were misinformed; now get the hell out before I throw you out on your crippled ass."

He took a step forward, intending to back up his words with action when a red beam of light ripped into his chest. _SHIT, this is my good Brooks Brother's tux!_ He thought right before the pain hit. He heard a scream behind him, and felt a brush of air as he flew backwards into the stage. He didn't hear much after that, at least until his factor kicked in.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

The one with the visor hit Victor with some kind of laser. She could smell his skin and suit burning. They hurt her mate…suddenly something happened inside, something snapped. She pushed past Steve as Victor went flying past her, the force from the blast propelling him back to the stage. She looked back as he shook his head and tried to get to his feet. He would be fine, but leather britches over there was going to be singing soprano.

As she dodged blasts from the visor she noticed that Mystique had the red head pinned down, and Janos and the woman with the white hair were facing off. She heard a sudden snarl beside her and looked. Tayla was with her. The sudden shadow from behind and the comforting growl told her that Victor was back on his feet, and right with her.

"I told ya ta get out, Kitten." He snarled as they ducked behind an overturned table.

"And I told you to fuck off." She snarled back.

"WOMAN!" He roared.

"Either you cut his balls off, or I'm going to." She shouted back. "No one hurts my mate and gets away with it." He just looked at her in shock for a moment. She gave him a big grin and ducked another laser blast from the leather clad kid.

XXXXXXXXXXX

He just growled and picked up the table throwing it at the visored kid. That distracted him as Kat and Tayla came in low, tackling him. Kat had her hand around his throat, claws digging in ready to rip it out when her mate's large hand came down on hers.

"He ain't worth it, Kitten." He said calmly, just before a table crashed over his head. Josh and the football team were in the fray. Victor just shrugged and elbowed the rusher in the gut. "If you want to keep that scholarship, boy, sit down and stay the hell out of grown up business."

"Not on your life, you pervert. She's just a kid like us." Josh growled back at him. Victor looked stunned.

"Did you just call me a pervert?" He turned and looked at the boy.

"Yea…a pedophile. Kat's just a kid like us, she ain't even 18 yet, and you are fu…." He didn't finish the sentence. Victor picked him up and threw him across the room. "Kitten, I ain't in the mood for this shit."

He looked down at the red visored leader of the X-Men, he was out cold. Someone was going to have to end this before someone really got hurt. He turned and looked around the room. Myst and Janos had the X-Men occupied, but the entire school seemed to be lined up on the two sides, and an all out free for all brawl was in full swing.

"Kitten, we need ta get you out of here." He reached a hand down to help her to her feet, when another table hit him across the back. He was really starting to get pissed. He turned to find Josh back and in full temper.

"KEEP your hands off her you jerk." He swung his huge fist at Victor's head. Victor just dodged.

"Boy, One – " he said as he gave up and just punched the football player in the face. "She's my fucking WIFE!" Another punch – this time to the gut. "TWO – she was NEVER and I repeat" and another punch for emphasis "NEVER interested in you." He picked the boy up by the front of his tuxedo jacket and gave him a good shake before sending him flying into the stage with another punch "THREE – SHE'S MY MATE so FUCK OFF!" He roared the last.

The boy wouldn't be getting up for a while. He shook his head and turned to help Kitten to her feet again. She was grinning from ear to ear, and he couldn't help but return the grin. He was reaching to pull her against his chest when another one of pretty boy's optic blasts hit him in the back, knocking him into the wall. That kid was going to pay for this. He shook himself, the shreds of his tuxedo jacket and shirt falling off of his singed torso. He turned, his eyes black, and bloodlust raging.

"SCOTT! Enough." The crippled telepath said. Victor didn't pay any attention to the old man, he charged the optic boy. Victor was pissed, that tuxedo cost more than pretty boy made in a year and he was going to take it out of his pansy, pampered, perfumed hide. He found himself hanging in mid air, his hands less than a foot from pretty boy's neck. He glared at the red head telekinetic. She was next!

"VICTOR!" A voice cut through the red haze across his eyes. He shook his head, and looked over at his wife. He could smell her fear – and suddenly, like a deluge of cold water, he was calm. He never wanted her to see him like this, and here, on what should be a special night for her, she had to watch him turn into the animal he truly was. He felt his body being lowered gently to the floor, and managed to get his feet under him so he wasn't dumped gracelessly on his ass.

He just looked at the floor at his feet, her fear surrounding him like the scent of death. For him it was death – the death of everything he dreamed they could have. He refused to look at her, just turned to walk away.

"DON'T YOU DARE WALK OUT ON ME, VICTOR CREED!!!!" Her shout took him by surprise. He stopped at the door to the ballroom, he couldn't look at her. He didn't want to see fear in her eyes again. He just kept walking.

"If you walk out that door, don't ever come back." He could hear the tears in her voice – the pain, the fear. She was afraid but didn't want him to leave – it made no sense. He turned to take one last look at her before walking away. He didn't expect her to be right behind him.

He just looked at her, trying to memorize every feature, the blush on her cheeks, the shape of her lips, the brush of her eyelashes. She was his life, but she feared him. She would never be able to live with him now, and he couldn't live with the fear.

"I'll go." He said it softly. Maybe he should turn himself over to the Geeks; maybe they could help him control this, so that someday, maybe he could come home again.

"And I will hunt you down to the ends of the earth." She snarled, her fangs flashing. He backed up a step, startled. She was FURIOUS, he couldn't remember seeing her this angry – ever. "You are my mate – my husband – and if you think I am going to let you walk out on me just because you blew a gasket and got a little pissed at someone calling you a fucking pedophile you have another thing coming." She was pounding both her fists against his chest. His lungs were hurting but he couldn't figure out why.

"BREATHE you idiot!" She screamed at him, and he took a deep lung full of air. He didn't think he just reached out and pulled her against his bare chest.

"Baby – I thought you were afraid, I could smell it – I don't ever want you to be afraid of me." He whispered softly, rubbing his cheek against the top of her hair.

"You big DUMMY! I was afraid FOR you not of you. I swear you are the biggest idiot sometimes." He chuckled, if it were anyone else talking to him like that, he would gut them, but his Kitten could get by with murder.

He looked over her head at the shocked looks on the faces of the X-Men. He wanted to strangle all of them for hurting his Kitten.

"My apologies, Victor, it appears we were misinformed." Charles looked uncomfortable at best. The pretty boy was glaring, but the red head had a hand on his arm, holding him back. The white haired weather witch actually smiled at him, which made him snarl in return.

"Now, do you mind tellin me what my idiot sister-in-law told ya…I'd really like ta know what I am bein accused of." He growled at the old man, his wife crushed against his chest. Victor was ready to kill; the only thing keeping him calm was the woman in his arms.

"She said that you would be here, that you and the Brotherhood would be here to disrupt the Prom Night festivities as a protest against human celebrations. She said you had – forced yourself upon her, and were holding her younger sister and forcing her as well." Charles was looking decidedly uncomfortable.

"Kitten, have I ever been able to FORCE you ta do anything?" He grumbled. He felt her shoulders shaking with laughter.

"Nope, but I have forced YOU to do a thing or two." She looked up at him grinning and he couldn't stop the image that flashed across his mind – his hands locked around the iron canopy bar, her lips and teeth wrapped around – he cut that off quick…there were too many telepaths in the room.

"Damn it, I don't thing that's what they were talkin about." He said softly, running his fingers through her hair. He noticed the red head blushing furiously. "Gettin' any ideas, Red." He grinned at her.

"I believe we jumped before taking things into account." Charles said.

"I'd say so. That ain't like you, Egg Head. You got a beef with me, or is something else goin on?"

"It's none of your concern. This isn't anything personal, Victor, it is just – well there is too much unrest against mutants right now." Charles shook his head.

"Not here. Hell, the damned football team was on your side, not because we are mutants, but because one of the players has a thing for my wife."

"Your…WIFE!" The pretty boy couldn't keep silent any more.

"Yea…you want ta make something of it." He growled at the kid.

"Scott, leave it alone." The red head said softly. At least someone was being sensible.

"Honestly, I didn't think you knew what the word meant. You don't strike me as the commitment type." Victor clenched his hands around Kitten's back. If she wasn't in his arms, he'd rip that boy limb from limb. He felt her trembling a moment, and then has to let go as she turned and lit into the pretty boy with both barrels.

"I don't think YOU have any idea what a true commitment is, you fucking JERK!!! Victor has been here every year of my life from the day I was born. He has protected me, cared for me, and waited for almost eighteen years for me to be old enough to claim me as his wife. I don't think you puny creatures can understand what a true mate is – what a true love is. You are too small minded and weak to understand – go back to your sterile little world where love is hidden behind closed doors – and passion is something to be avoided." She seemed to direct the last at the young couple in front of them. "You wouldn't know true love if it bit you in the ass and called you names."

Even the old man in the chair seemed taken aback by her speech. Tayla, Janos, Mystique, George, Steve, Heather and Terry who had arrived in the middle of the brawl stood behind Victor and Kat. "Tell you what, old man. This town is mine, I protect it, I take care of the people here, we don't NEED you or your X-Men." He said the name with a sneer. "Next time you want to pay a visit – don't, not without an express invitation from me or my wife. Now if you don't mind, we need ta help clean up the mess **you** made."

With that he pushed past the wall of leather clad X-Men and back into the ballroom, Kitten at his side. Everyone was milling around inside, not really sure what to do. Victor grabbed a big trash can and started picking up trash from the floor. Kitten and her friends followed, and soon mostly everyone was trying to put things to rights. Victor looked up as he dumped a load in the trash and saw the football player on the other side of the can. Suddenly the kid thrust a hand out to him across the half full can.

"I'm sorry. I have been a jerk." Josh said quietly. Victor almost smiled at the kid. He had a huge black eye, a split lip and was walking like he was in pain. He took the kid's hand. At least he hadn't killed him.

"Just leave my wife alone…" Josh gave him a weak smile and turned and walked away.

The evening was over. He didn't hear the Geeks leave, but they were gone by the time he had written the check to cover the damages to the hotel. Jerks didn't even stay to help clean up. Victor saw Tayla and Janos sitting on a set of stairs in the hotel lobby.

He grabbed Kitten's arm and dragged her toward the front door. "Let's go get a late dinner, kids." He said, gesturing to the two on the stairs. The valet brought the car around and he grabbed a spare T Shirt from the back end before getting into the driver's seat.

"Hey do you have room for one more?" Mystique said from the entrance.

"Get in Bluebutt." He said.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

The silence in the car was almost overpowering. Kat just sat there, wanting to just go home and curl up in bed and forget the evening had happened. Who were those people and why did they have to show up and ruin the Prom. She felt a low growl starting to build, and was surprised when Victor reached over and took her hand, lacing his fingers with hers.

"Its okay, Kitten, they won't be back, not without a really good reason." He said softly. Mystique laughed out loud in the back seat.

"I would definitely say the Geek Squad left with their tails between their legs. I can't remember when Charles looked that sheepish." She was still chuckling. "I'm surprised they didn't call in Logan for this little run." Kat heard Tayla's intake of breath and smelled the fear rolling off of her.

"I'm glad they didn't. I don't think we are ready to deal with him yet." Kat said softly, trying to reassure her friend.

They pulled up in front of the only all night diner in town, and the five of them trooped in, shoulders dragging. They weren't the first ones there, half the football team had taken over half the diner. The waitress just seated them in a quiet back corner. Josh waved at them as they passed by. At least SOMETHING good had come out of the night. Vic and Josh weren't trying to kill each other anymore – rather Josh wasn't trying to kill Vic.

She slid into the booth, Vic sliding in behind her. She ended up sandwiched between Janos and Vic, a position she didn't mind at all. Victor laid one arm on the back of the booth, and she snuggled up against his side. He still smelled of scorched silk, wool, and fur, but he was alright and she needed that reassurance. He slid his hand down her arm and just held her against his side. She noticed that Tayla was shivering, and Jan slipped an arm around her, the new feral leaned on her date, trying to let go of her fear.

Mystique was sitting on the outside, and looked at the two girls and Victor. "Ok, what is all of this about? Snaggletooth, I have had about all the secrecy I am going to take."

"I don't know what you are talking about." Victor said as he looked over the menu.

"You and the Puddytat there are closer than two peas in a pod. TayTay is trembling in fear every time someone mentions Three Clawed Fuzzyface, and I am sitting with not ONE but TWO female ferals at the same table in the same town, and they are both BREATHING." She raised her voice slightly on the last word.

"Keep it down, Blue." Victor growled as the waitress came to get their drink orders.

After she left, Mystique started drumming her fingers on the table, waiting for an answer.

"Myst – if you say a fucking word to ANYONE about this, I will personally bury you six feet under, STILL BREATHING." Victor snarled at the shapeshifter. "I came across a situation about eighty years back, a woman kinda like Kitten here, but older – her body had gone into estrus – but she was too far gone to save. I have done a little checking, had some friends do some research on it to find out what happened. They autopsied her and found that she died from heart failure. At the time the research was sketchy at best, but I have kept my eyes out for others since." Mystique was leaning on the table, her eyes glued on Victor's face, her head resting in her woven fingers.

"Go on…this is getting interesting – TomCat understands medical research." He just growled at her. The waitress was coming back to bring their drinks and take their dinner orders. When she left, he continued.

"About twenty years ago, I came across another one, freshly dead, and took the body in for exam. They were able to isolate her cause of death as heart failure due to hormonal imbalance. It didn't make any sense at the time, so they did further research. They found a young girl, about fifteen, who was starting to develop feral tendencies, they monitored her day in and day out until her cycles hit. They happened to have a male feral who was genetically compatible with her on the research team, and when her cycles hit at estrus, he nearly went insane trying to get to her. They let him, and they monitored her while he mated her. Her body would cycle up and then back down. It lasted for three days, and then stopped, but she survived. They are married and have two cubs."

"You mean there is a third female feral alive and breeding and NO ONE knew about it."

"I did."

"You didn't mention it."

"You're right, I didn't. The kid went through enough; she's alive, married, and happy. There was no need ta drag her into things, besides she's got two young ones ta take care of, and her mate's a science geek, not a fighter."

"So what you are saying is female ferals exist, but usually die young because they can't find a mate in time?" Mystique's eyes narrowed slightly as she thought about the implications.

"Yes, Blue, that's what I am saying. Some of them are born fully feral, like Kitten here, some develop it later, like Tay, but they all die at the first estrus if they don't find a mate – a genetically compatible mate."

"What do you mean, genetically compatible – I thought all ferals could breed with each other?"

"Reptiles can't breed with mammals, Amphibians can't breed with avians. It depends on the type of animal base the feral is genetically tied too. We had Graydon, but you aren't a feral, you are a shapeshifter and your genetics are compatible with different types of mutants." Mystique was looking at him in shock.

"Either the world has flipped itself on its ear, or you have been HIDING a whole bunch of shit for a whole lot of years 'Tooth. When the hell did you get this SMART."

He grinned at the shapeshifter. "I've always been this smart, Blue – just never felt the need ta let ya know. You guys always needed brute force, and no one wants to know the muscle has a brain attached, that's dangerous." Kat watched a new respect enter Mystique's eyes.

"I think I am beginning to understand this. The reason ferals aren't as common as the genetic codes seem to indicate they should be is because the females are dying without a chance to breed. They don't get the chance because they can't find genetically compatible mates. What would happen if someone set up a place where ferals could be cataloged, and introduced to each other, long before the danger zone?"

"What are you talking about, Blue. Didn't we just fight a huge issue over registering mutants? Wouldn't that be the same thing?" Victor growled at her.

They drifted to silence as the waitress came back, carrying their dinner orders. As soon as she was out of earshot the conversation began again, as heated as before.

"No, it wouldn't, I am not talking about tracking them, or even registering what abilities they have, just what type of feral they are."

"I don't like it, Blue. I don't want anyone knowing about Kitten, or Tayla. I can take care of them, I KNOW who Tay's mate is and when the time comes, I can drag his ass back here and make sure she survives." Kat watched her friend tremble in fear again.

"What about the others, Victor? Ferity is the most common form of mutation, male ferals out number all other forms of mutants ten to one at least, and the females should be as numerous. Not all of them have yours or Logan's healing abilities, true, and if they could have the chance to meet – to find mates that they are compatible with – not only would it save female lives, but think of how it could improve the quality of the lives of the males. YOU know the difference having the Puddytat there in your life has made…what about the others?"

Even Kat was amazed by the passion in Mystique's voice. She didn't know what the shapeshifter was up to, she didn't trust that she was doing this for altruistic reasons, but she had a very big point. If they could find a way to help other ferals, not only the females, but males as well, shouldn't they try?

Tayla looked at Kat and nodded. They had been talking about what to take in college, and they both were thinking about bio genetics, Tayla wanted to find a way to stop the mating cycles, so she didn't have to face her boogieman, Kat hadn't made a decision yet, but if she could help find a way to help other ferals, it would be worth it. She nodded back. It was as if everything had crystallized. She knew what she wanted to do, and what she needed to do to be able to accomplish it. She had one huge obstacle in her way, and she was going to have to try to trick him into another bet…or convince him to help them. She looked up at her husband, at the hard set look on his face as he glared at the shapeshifter across the table – yep it was going to take work to convince him.

Mystique dropped the subject and they finished their dinners in relative silence, each lost is their own thoughts.

XXXXXXXXXXX

He pulled into the driveway. The kids climbed out. Mystique had taken a cab from the diner, but Jan had insisted on seeing Tayla home, his own car was parked in front of the house. Victor unlocked the front door, and watched as Kitten walked, tired and drooping across the threshold. He was going to have to make this up to her, somehow. She climbed the stairs slowly, one hand resting on the banister. He followed her. Tayla would be fine, he trusted Jan, and right now his wife needed him more than Tayla needed a chaperone.

He followed her into the bedroom, where she dropped her purse and wrap on the dressing table before starting to unfasten the back of the dress. He brushed her hands aside and slowly began to unzip it.

"Want me to run you a hot bath?" He asked.

"No, I just want to crawl in bed and forget the Prom happened." He wanted to kill the Geeks all over again.

"It wasn't all bad, was it?"

"No, at least I got to dance with you." She gave him a slight half smile as she slipped the dress down to the floor. He helped her unfasten the back of her bra and held his breath as she slipped out of the last of her clothes. She was magnificent. He stood back and just watched her move around the room – picking up things – hanging up the dress – slipping off the thigh high stockings, the last thing she was wearing. His chest was hurting again – and he forced himself to take a deep breath. She was his, she had seen him – well not at his WORST – but close, and still wanted him, still needed him with her.

She had seen him out of control – in the throws of a nightmare, and he had thought she would tell him to leave then, now she had seen him IN control, in a full killing rage, and she had threatened to hunt him down if he tried to leave – and he didn't doubt she would do it. Suddenly it hit him. She had already accepted what he was still fighting. He was her mate, nothing and no one could change that, not either of them, not anything from outside; she would hunt him down if he tried to leave her, and he would hunt her down if she tried to leave him. They belonged to each other, and always would. He watched as she climbed, tiredly, under the covers of their bed. He reached over and turned off the overhead light, watching the moonlight play with her hair as he slipped off what was left of his tuxedo.

"I'm sending the damned Egg Head a bill for this tux." He grumbled. She giggled from the bed.

"Shut up and come to bed, TomCat – I want to forget what happened tonight, and you know the best way to make me forget." He grinned. He could think of two or three…or four. He slid under the blankets and pulled her body against his chest. He kissed the top of her head, as she turned to face him.

"Get some sleep, Kitten…we have the rest of our lives – and you are tired." He whispered as she curled up on his chest.

"Over my dead body." She whispered back, her tongue tracing a line of fire across his chest. His Kitten wanted to play, and as her hand slipped lower he gave up, letting her play. His last coherent thoughts were about the idea Mystique had presented at dinner, and that it really was a shame more ferals didn't find mates.

EPILOGUE

She walked across the stage, the rolled up piece of parchment in her hand. In four days she would be eighteen. She had gotten her acceptance letter to the University of Colorado yesterday, Tayla's had come the day before. They wouldn't even have to move, it was only an hour drive to the campus. She grinned at her big TomCat sitting near the front of the stadium.

She had at least four years to convince him – and knew it wouldn't take much. He had plans this summer, which was fine with her. She and Tayla weren't going to waste any time. They were already enrolled in summer classes. He would be home when he could, and when he couldn't she wouldn't be alone. She had no more doubts about him taking off, he was her mate.

Graduation was finally over and she ran straight into his arms.

"Well…Kitten. You did it."

"Did you ever doubt?"

"Nope." He pulled her close. "Myst called, she found a young girl, a feral that needs a place ta stay."

"She can stay with us this summer, how old is she?"

"Five."

"SHIT!" She didn't know how she would go to class and take care of a small child.

"Your mom agreed ta take her in, for now. I am looking at some property I bought outside of town. What Myst said made sense, maybe we can come up with a way to help, I don't know, but I am willin' ta try."

"Victor!" She squealed, squeezing him in a huge hug.

"I don't like the idea of registering anyone, but if there are kids that don't have anyplace to go, your parents have agreed ta take them in, kinda like an orphanage until we can work something else out. At least they have experience raising one." He grinned.

"Any word about Megan?"

"Nothin' yet. I am going to keep lookin. She is family after all."

"Did you ever – in your entire life – think you would be able to say that word without cringing?" She laughed.

"NOPE!" He chuckled back.

"Victor, it's what we are, we ferals – family." She smiled as he pulled her close. She knew he would come around, agree to help them. They were family after all.


End file.
